


Before the Fall

by Emerald_Gay



Series: Therian [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Faunus history, Alternate Faunus mechanics, Body Horror, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Non-con alluded to- never depicted, Penny is NOT a robot, Poly is endgame, Remnant lycanthropy mechanics, WereGrimm au, background Seamonkeys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:02:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 14
Words: 53,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25252801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emerald_Gay/pseuds/Emerald_Gay
Summary: Nothing was quite the same after Team RWBY met Penny Polendina, a lonely girl from Atlas with more than a few secrets.Can Team RWBY fight the encroaching darkness coming from within?
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Penny Polendina/Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Series: Therian [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1878685
Comments: 34
Kudos: 57





	1. Chapter 1

Ruby was happy that Weiss wanted to do something as part of the team. Spying on people getting off of a long ship ride wasn’t _exactly_ what she’d had in mind, but she’ll take what she can get when it comes to the frosty heiress.

Now, however, Team RWBY was chasing down a blond Faunus who Weiss wanted to interrogate. Just as Ruby lost sight of her partner rounding a corner, she heard a loud cry of surprise, followed by a thud.

What she saw was surprising, and honestly, made her feel jealous. _What-?_

Weiss was currently being held under a girl with short ginger hair, the girl's hands on the ground on either side of Weiss’s face - a face that had started out red, and was only becoming brighter as the ginger girl stared curiously into Weiss’s eyes. Ruby couldn’t avert her eyes from the scene and was only dimly aware of the other two members jogging to a halt just behind her.

“Um, Weiss? Who’s your friend?” Yang asked. What she got in return was Weiss opening her mouth several times with no sound coming out.

“Hi! Can you please get off my partner?” Ruby asked awkwardly, her words tumbling out in a rush as she zipped over to the ginger girl to put a hand on her shoulder.

“Oh!” the ginger exclaimed, turning her bright green eyes to Ruby, then to the black and yellow pair. “My apologies. I was merely…startled,” she said meekly, standing up from her position on the ground. Ruby extended a hand to Weiss, but Weiss still was just staring at the new girl.

“Earth to Weiss!” Ruby teased, bending down to grab Weiss’s hand anyway. Something about the new girl made Ruby feel possessive. Even if she was cute.

“Sorry for bumping into you,” Weiss said as she stood up, the flush slowly fading from her cheeks. She looked down the alleyway, but with no Faunus in sight, she sighed and turned to her teammates. “Let’s retire to Beacon. We have papers to write.”

“See you around, friend!” Ruby called out, feeling a little less cheerful than she sounded. She wasn’t going to forgive the new girl anytime soon for putting a move on Weiss.

\----------------------------------

“Well, she was…weird,” Yang began as they walked down the street. “Though apparently, the right kind of weird for Ice Queen here.”

“Nonsense! I was merely upset that the girl stopped us from catching that Faunus hoodlum.” Weiss huffed, glancing into passing alleyways nervously.

“Um, hello?” The group jumped as the girl from the alley appeared suddenly in front of them. Ruby was impressed with her speed, though the new girl did seem to be getting awfully close to her. “You called me friend?” she asked Ruby, a mere foot or two away from Ruby’s face.

Ruby looked up at her teammates. Yang was shaking her head while Blake was giving her a disappointed look. Weiss looked confused, as if she wasn’t sure how to feel. At Ruby’s hesitation, the ginger girl’s face twitched, the tentative smile she had worn fading fast. Ruby knew that smile. She had worn it for many years before Beacon.

“Yes, I did,” she said with quiet conviction. After all, it was just an accident that the girl had pushed down Weiss. Ruby could empathize with making bad first impressions, as her first day at Beacon was basically a laundry list of them. “I’m Ruby,” she said, sticking her hand out to shake.

The ginger girl ignored her hand, instead snapping into a salute with a smile on her face. “Sal-u-tations. I’m Penny Polendina.”

“Nice to meet you, Penny,” Ruby said with a smile. “These are my teammates Yang, Blake and Weiss,” pointing to each of them in turn.

“How did you follow us here?” Blake asked. Penny snapped to attention facing Blake.

“My semblance lets me track people somewhat if they’re close by,” Penny said haltingly, her cheerful eyes suddenly downcast, almost nervous.

“That would have been helpful to know earlier!” Weiss snapped, before her eyes widened in realization. “You’re here for the tournament, aren’t you?”

Penny regained her energetic demeanor and replied with a smile, “I’m combat ready! I’m here from Atlas.” At the mention of her home country, Weiss flinched before composing herself.

“Could you track that filthy Faunus from earlier?” Weiss asked, in a cold tone that took her team by surprise.

“Stop calling him that!” Blake said, stepping up towards her teammate. “He’s not just some animal, he’s a person!”

“Oh, I’m _sorry_. Would you like me to stop referring to the trash can as a trashcan, or this lamppost as a lamppost?” Weiss retorted indignantly.

“Stop it!”

“Stop what? He clearly broke the law. Give him time, and he’ll join up with the White Fang just like the other uncontrollable animals.”

“You bigoted brat!” Blake yelled, turning and stomping down the street.

“Excuse me, I am your teammate, you do not get to talk to me like that!” Weiss yelled after her.

Ruby and Yang looked at each other, having a silent conversation with their eyes. This argument could last for hours, and they knew they were going to have to stick around to smooth things over afterwards. Inwardly they sighed and prepared to follow, when an unexpected sound came from behind them.

Penny clutched her stomach as it loudly growled, a drop of drool leaving the corner of her mouth as she stared at the monochromatic pair with eyes dilated.

“Sounds like you need to eat more than airplane food, Penny,” Yang nervously chuckled. Penny blinked rapidly, her eyes refocusing as she looked at the sisters.

“You are correct, Yang,” Penny said, staring at her feet. “I do need to eat.” 

Yang and Ruby shared a look and Yang shrugged before taking off into a light jog to catch up to their arguing teammates.

“Here’s my scroll number, Penny, if you need to talk,” Ruby said, hastily scribbling onto a notebook and ripping the paper out.

“Thanks, friend Ruby” Penny said, her green eyes shining at the piece of paper like she’d been handed a treasure.

“See you later, Penny.” Ruby activated her semblance, blowing rose petals everywhere in her haste. Penny reached out to catch one, but failed as the wind snatched them from her grasp.

\----------------------------------

Unfortunately, the sisters’ earlier suspicions were correct: Weiss and Blake’s argument lasted well into the night, with a brief hiatus for dinner with team JNPR.

“I don’t see why you seem so adamant about defending a terrorist organization!” Weiss said, pacing in front of her bed.

“Your lack of perspective is the problem!” Blake retorted, standing up from her bed. “Can you not see _why_ the Faunus would be fighting so hard? It’s people like Cardin, people like _you_ , that are the reason the White Fang has resorted to violence.”

“I don’t feel the need to listen to those who use violence to spread their message.” Weiss said coldly, gripping the balcony tightly. “It’s not as if one could learn anything constructive from hateful mutts like them.”

“Did you just-”

“Use pejorative, ‘discriminatory’ language to emphasize my feelings on the matter? Yes. You want to know why I don’t like the White Fang or the Faunus in particular? I. Am. A. Victim. Or did you think I only had one scar?” Weiss pointed to her eye; her teammates flinched. “The White Fang has been after my family for years, ever since my father took over and ruined the good name of the SDC.” 

Blake held back a scoff. 

Weiss continued, “I was only 6 years old when they first decided to knock on our door. I wasn’t able to find cover in time. It was fortunate that my aura was unlocked, as some feral wolf Faunus tried to bite me in half. Pardon me for not showing you my scars. Luckily, the police arrived in time to stop them before they torched my grandfather’s home to the ground - but not before the White Fang left a parting gift for my mother.” Weiss was no longer moving except to breathe, staring deep into the eyes of Blake, who had sat back down on her bed in awe. Weiss unclenched her hand, and Ruby could see trickles of blood in her palm from her fingernails.

“Weiss-”

“I don’t care, Ruby,” she snapped. “I don’t need your pity.” Aura had already begun to heal her palm, after all.

“...That wasn't ever reported,” Blake whispered in a shocked tone, not moving her eyes from the floor.

“Of course it wasn’t,” Weiss said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Do you think my father would have allowed for word to get out that an attack made it through his security? That my brother was-” She cut herself off, the fury fading from her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Weiss, I didn’t know.”

“It should have stayed that way. But you asked for my reasons, and there they are.” An uncomfortable silence filled the room, punctuated only by quiet sobs.

“I can’t stay here,” Blake said, tears running down her face.

“What?” The other girls said almost in unison, wearing equally shocked expressions.

“You’ll never forgive me, Weiss.” Blake stood shakily, picking up her weapon and fastening it to her back.

“Because of an argument? I know my views are prejudiced but surely-” But what everyone saw next cut off any further argument.

Blake’s bow was off. Where it stood were two small cat ears, now laid back against her head in sorrow.

“I was White Fang, Weiss. And it looks like I’ll never be able to escape what I’ve done.” Blake blinked back tears before perching on the windowsill and jumping off into the night.

“Blake!” Yang cried out, reaching for air outside the window, eyes straining for movement in the dark.

Weiss collapsed back onto her bed, hands holding her sides where old wounds pained her. Ruby fell to her knees in shock, worried that her team would never be the same.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby, Yang and Weiss search for Blake, running into Penny while they are out.
> 
> Blake has a nice discussion with Sun, and the two decide to stop a White Fang robbery.
> 
> It goes about as well as expected

“Blake? Blake?” Yang yelled her partner’s name out into the darkness, gripping the railing, readying to jump after her.

“Yang, stop,” a quiet voice said from behind her. Yang turned to see Ruby on her knees, staring at the floor. “She has night vision, so we won’t be able to find her at night.”

“Why would we want to? She’s a Faunus, she can’t be trusted,” Weiss mumbled to herself, clutching at her torso as she moved further away from the window.

“What do you mean? Didn’t you see how scared she was?” Yang rounded on Weiss, red sparking into her eyes.

“They lie, they cheat, they hurt people-” Weiss whimpered.

“ENOUGH!” Ruby yells from the seat on the floor, shocking both of her teammates. She slowly stands, her eyes a tired grey rather than their usual bright silver. “ _We_ ,” she said pointedly at Weiss, “will look for our teammate _tomorrow_ ,” she directed at Yang, “so we can get some answers from her. It won’t work if we start fighting about it now. Go. To. Sleep.”

“But-” Yang and Weiss said at the same time. The look they received from Ruby kept them quiet.

\----------------------------------

“Why did you stow away on that boat?”

“Seriously, that’s the first thing you say to me?” The blond monkey Faunus said, balancing a tea cup in the crook of his tail. “Thought I’d be making a new friend in the city, not getting interrogated.” Blake’s eyes flashed angrily. “Alright, alright. Just wanted to get here early to scope out the city, you know?”

“And you disturbed me because?” Blake asked, stirring her tea. She had not stopped stirring since the blond had sat down across from her at the only Faunus-friendly tea shop in Vale. She had left her bow in the dorms, and was not liking all the attention this loud boy was bringing to her. 

He shrugged, putting the tea cup down. “Not everyday you see a Faunus at a combat school. I wanted to be friendly - give some support.”

“I might not be attending Beacon for very long, anyway,” Blake replied cryptically.

“Why’s that?” He tilted his head. 

“I don’t know you. How do I know I can trust you?” Blake mumbled. 

The boy responded by reaching into his denim shorts for a wallet and a scroll, placing them on the table and pushing them towards Blake. “There’s my scroll and my ID. Plenty enough to pretend to be me and ruin my life if you walk away. The name’s Sun Wukong,” he said affably. “Nice to meet you.”

“Blake Belladonna,” Blake replied robotically, before asking in a quieter tone, “Why-”

“World’s got enough bad stuff in it. Might as well lend a hand or an ear when I can,” Sun shrugged, his tail wagging contentedly behind him. Blake stared in disbelief before shaking her head to clear her thoughts.

“What do you know about the White Fang?” she began hesitantly.

“That they’re a bunch of creepy violent weirdos? And the elders don’t like ‘em very much.”

“That depends on which ones you were talking to. We had quite a few older members who were tired of the treatment they had received.”

“Well, the ones back in Vacuo didn’t like how they treated Animism,” Sun replied. 

Blake huffed at his response. “Are they still teaching that?” she asked incredulously. “I would have thought that the Fang had pushed out all the honest believers by association.”

“It’s tough to root out what blooms in the desert,” Sun said, reciting an old Vacuan saying. He leaned back in his chair. “They argue the Fang just lost the nice parts of being Faunus. The loss of-”

“The community within and without,” Blake and Sun intoned simultaneously, before sharing a look and chuckling. Blake stopped her stirring and took a sip of her tea. _Delicious_.

“Well, I made someone smile; I call that a good day.” Sun leaned forward and put his elbows on the table, his smile dimming somewhat. “You were saying about the Fang?” 

Blake’s features settled into a slight frown. “I was a part of them for a long time. My parents were among the founders, back when it was a peaceful support and advocacy group. But then protests turned into riots, and I followed in those violent footsteps. My parents did not. I left one night to come to the Vale chapter and I haven’t seen them since. My _partner_ -” Blake cringed internally at calling Adam by the same moniker as Yang “-was among the people pushing for the escalation. One day last year, we were doing a job, and I suddenly realized everything I had done - the blood on my hands, the lost connections I had abandoned. I ran away and applied to Beacon.”

Blake took a deep breath before continuing. “I know I’m still angry, and I still want to make a difference, to put the past behind me. But then last night Weiss-”

“Wait, Weiss Schnee?” Sun blurted in shock. 

Blake laughed without mirth. “Yeah, just my luck that a Schnee is on my team. She hasn’t quite been the monster the Fang thought her to be. At least, not until you came along and brought up her feelings on Faunus.” Sun furrowed his brow at this but said nothing. Blake continued, “She got angry at the Fang and she said some things, and-” Blake took a heavy, hitching breath. “I was back on that train, staring at what I’d done. So, I ran.”

“That’s...a little out of my wheelhouse to help you with,” Sun says after a long pause. “Have you talked to anyone else about this?”

Blake stared at him for a long moment before dropping her gaze and shaking her head, silent.

\----------------------------------

“Blake! Blake!” The sisters yell out at varying intervals.

“You gonna help, Weiss?” Yang said over her shoulder. The heiress had been tight-lipped since the previous night.

“Why would I help a criminal?” Weiss said quietly, her eyes barely lifting from the streets. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her waist. “Especially one involved with those-” She sighed, cutting herself off. “We should take this to the police.”

“I want to hear her side of the story first,” Yang said resolutely, turning to look at Weiss.

“Weiss? Do you want to talk about-” Ruby started before spotting a head of ginger hair poking out from an alleyway.

“Hello! What are you all doing?” Penny asked, stepping out from the shadows.

“We’re looking for Blake,” Ruby responded, eyes brightening a little at Penny’s presence.

“Oh!” Penny’s green eyes lit up. “The Faunus girl?” 

The assembled members of team RWBY stared at her.

“How do you know that?” Yang said, tilting her head.

“It was her sme- I mean, her bow”

“I guess it is kinda obvious,” Ruby sighed, thinking back. “She even slept with it on.”

“I assumed it was just a comfort thing, like Ruby’s cloak,” Yang replied. 

Penny nodded and added with enthusiasm, “And what a lovely cloak it is!” Ruby blushed, pulling at the hem of her cloak at the compliment.

“Would you like help?” Penny asked, snapping to attention with her hands behind her back, adopting a business-like tone. “I’m quite skilled at tracking. We should probably pair off to cover more ground.”

“That sounds great. Okay, let’s-” Ruby started.

“I volunteer to go with leader Rose!” Penny’s military demeanor instantly melted away and she walked to stand next to Ruby. _Maybe a little too close,_ Ruby thought. _She smells nice, though_.

“Weiss-cream, you’re with me,” Yang shrugged, before sending her sister a wink that made Ruby’s blush deepen.

\----------------------------------

“So, what’s the plan?” Sun asked, hands behind his head as he and Blake strolled aimlessly. 

The tea break had been much more therapeutic than Blake had anticipated. Something about the fellow Faunus made her feel safe. “In what respect?” she asked.

“Your team, the Fang...” Sun trailed off.

“I don’t know,” Blake sighed, shaking her head. She had no idea if she would ever see her team again - if they would even _want_ to see her.

“Well, what does your cat tell you?” Sun tilted his head, eyeing Blake up and down.

“I gave up Animism, Sun,” Blake sighed, turning to face her companion. “I’m not sure I can go back. Not after the Fang... _perverted_ it like that,” she added.

“Was it that bad?”

“All they focused on was finding aggression, the parts of our instincts that make us less than human. It would be ironic if it weren't so painfully tragic.”

“You can’t let them decide how you feel about your instincts.” 

Blake took a shuddering breath. ‘I’ll try, Sun.” A small sad smile appeared on her features. “How are you so good at listening?” 

Whatever Sun said in response faded away to noise as Blake spotted a White Fang code scrawled in an alleyway. “Wait. They’re here. They're meeting in Vale.” She stopped cold as her thoughts sank to the bloodshed that could, no, _would_ happen unless they were stopped. Sun delicately placed a hand on Blake’s shoulder.

“You want to go fight some bad guys?” Sun asked. 

Blake gave him a sly smile. “Best idea I’ve heard all day.”

\----------------------------------

Yang felt stretched thin.

On the one hand, it seemed like Penny was very interested in Ruby. Yang was proud of her sister for reaching out to the strange girl. Ruby had always been on the shy and awkward side, something that hadn’t changed much in Beacon. Her circle of friends had grown beyond, well, her family, but she still stuck pretty close to those she trusted. Taking a chance with a stranger was a great step for her.

On the other hand, she was worried sick about Blake. The girl had run off after outing herself and admitting to Weiss, a trauma survivor, that she used to be a part of the organization that gave Weiss those scars in the first place. Blake couldn’t possibly be in a good place at the moment, but Yang couldn’t figure out what to do about it.

And then there was Weiss. Yang sighed internally. She wasn’t sure if it was even worth it to bring Blake back if Weiss was going to shut down like this in her presence. Yang knew the problem was much bigger than her two friends' situation, but politics wasn’t really her strong suit. Growing up in Patch hadn’t really prepped her for dealing with Faunus discrimination or how the SDC operated. The island was just too small for that; everyone knew each other, so overt bigotry typically came and went with the tide of tourists every year. There was tension, sure, but nothing like what she had seen in Vale, or even Beacon for that matter.

“Weiss, talk to me,” Yang said after a long period of silence between the two.

“What is there to say, Yang? My teammates want me to help them find a lapsed terrorist and bring her back to our room.” 

Yang sighed, rubbing at the back of her neck. “You know that’s not the whole thing, right? Think about that conversation. Who was crying when you told us about yourself? Blake was. Who removed herself from the room after seeing the pain you were in? Blake did. She even took her weapon with her, like she wasn’t going to come back.” Yang paused for a moment before adding, “I know it’s asking a lot. But please...just give her a chance to explain herself. Her past may be bad, but _she_ never hurt you.”

Weiss kept to her silence, deep in thought.

\----------------------------------

“Oh, this is quite a situation you’re in, Friend Ruby!” Penny said, skipping down the sidewalk.

“You could say that again,” Ruby replied.

“Oh, this is quite-”

“That was just an expression, Penny, it doesn’t literally mean that.”

“Oh. Sorry.” She stopped and turned to Ruby. “I’m not very good with words,” Penny said hesitantly. “They confuse me sometimes. Feelings are easier to understand.”

“I think I’m the opposite. I understand a lot, a lot more than Yang thinks I do, but I don’t know how to feel about most of it. Everything’s just so...big, right now.”

“Weiss was very upset. Does it have to do with Blake being missing?” Penny tilted her head.

“Yeah, some stuff was said back at the dorms, and Blake just ran off without explaining anything.”

“Well, I can understand having feelings beyond words, but for my friends, I would like to try.” Penny said with a smile, moving close to Ruby and putting an arm around her shoulder. “I would try for you, Friend Ruby.” 

Ruby’s face warmed despite the drama surrounding her team. “Thanks, Penny.”

\----------------------------------

“Alright you animals, get the Dust moving! We don’t have all day and the clock is ticking!”

Blake couldn’t believe her eyes and ears. The White Fang _was_ behind the Dust robberies, and Torchwick was working with them!

“What is happening? Why are they working with a human like that?” Blake whispered to herself from her perch atop the roof next to Sun.

“You didn’t think they would?” Sun asked.

“No,” Blake sighed, “I thought they _might_ , but to see it actually happening is something else. Torchwick is something I didn’t see coming, I’ll admit.” She unsheathed Gambol Shroud and nudged open the skylight they were peering through.

“Wait, what are you doing?!” Sun hissed in alarm, reaching for her as she slid through the gap.

Once on the ground, Blake sneaked towards Roman, weaving behind boxes as she dodged the eyelines of the Fang members she could see. Her scent would give her away, but the building was already full of Faunus, so a single new smell shouldn’t be too suspicious. 

Blake waited for her opportunity and leapt at Roman when the moment came, catching him off guard with the sharpened sheath of her weapon against his neck.

“Whoa there, kitty cat,” Roman chuckled. “Didn’t leave room in my day for getting shanked by would-be huntresses.”

“Brothers of the White Fang, why are you aiding this asshole?” Blake snarled at the workers, who had dropped the merchandise and begun pulling out weapons. They hadn’t brought them to bear, however. _Yet_.

Roman whistled. “No need for dirty language, little lady, though I will admit the description is apt. Didn’t you know? The Fang and I are going steady. We’ve got a little deal going between us.”

“Tell me what it is, and maybe I’ll let you live,” Blake growled as she inched her sheath closer to Roman’s neck. The Fang were taking aim at her now.

“You know, kid, I think seeing is believing,” Roman said as three Bullheads descended from the sky, pointing their guns at the young huntress. Roman subtly twitched his arm and Blake realized too late that she hadn’t disarmed him.

She was already half-expecting the explosion that followed.

\----------------------------------

Ruby wheeled around upon hearing a large explosion in the distance. She saw smoke beginning to rise in the direction of the docks.

“Blake is there,” Penny said, her face turning pale as she broke into a run. “Quick! Your friend needs you.”

Ruby nodded, too busy worrying about Blake to ask how Penny sounded so certain.

\----------------------------------

Blake’s ambush was not going according to plan. To be fair, the plan wasn't much to speak of in the first place, but it certainly didn’t involve being gunned down by Bullheads in a dock full of Dust. Dodging the missiles and bullets, using her semblance to aid her, she managed to reach a safe place to catch her breath.

“Come on, kitty, where could you be?” Roman said, his sing-song tone only accentuating his threatening posture as he sauntered towards her hiding spot. “Come out, come out-” 

He was interrupted by Sun leaping from behind a box and whipping him across the face with his weapon. It appeared to be a staff of some kind, with gold trim on its red surface. “Goddammit, another one of you mutts,” Roman said as he eyed Sun up and down appreciatively. “This one’s better to look at, though.”

“Eww!” Sun replied, spinning his staff as it separated into a pair of nunchucks, which he used to beat back an oncoming White Fang soldier. “I am taken!”

“Pity,” Roman said, leveling his cane at Sun as he fought off Fang soldiers. Blake used her clones to speed towards Roman while he was distracted, knocking his shot off course and exchanging a flurry of blows with him. 

“Ah, you’re back. Did me ogling your boyfriend get to you?” Roman sneered. Blake flushed and Roman took advantage of the distraction to hook his cane around Blake’s ankle and flip her face-first into the ground. Her aura broke from the impact and she blacked out. 

\----------------------------------

“Sleep tight, kitty,” Roman taunted as he levelled his cane at her head.

Sun managed to wriggle free of the melee at this point and reached Roman just in time to stop him from shooting Blake, knocking his cane upwards with a well-placed kick. It took a moment for the crime lord to recover his rhythm, which allowed Sun to fire off a couple of quick shots at Roman. Unfortunately, experience began to outweigh surprise as the older man rapidly gained ground on Sun. With a spin kick, he knocked Sun into a support beam, took aim and fired.

Rose petals were all he hit, as Ruby pulled Sun to safety.

“Red, you’re here.” Roman smacked his forehead melodramatically. “Why am I not surprised?” He fired a shot at Ruby, who was too busy helping Sun up to notice it. She turned just in time for it to hit her in the gut, knocking her backward into a pile of crates that collapsed on top of her. Sun rushed to save his rescuer as Roman regarded the other new arrival. The ginger girl stared at him with a glare that _scared_ him. Hah, Roman Torchwick, scared of a little girl! Even Matchstick and Cowboy didn’t intimidate him _that_ much. But the red-eyed glower coming from the ginger girl was something else.

_Wait. Red eyes? Is she related to Blondie? Or worse, Rav-_

His thoughts were cut off as the Bullheads engaged the new adversary, bullets whipping around her body as she moved her gaze to a new target. Roman stared in awe as swords came out of the new girl’s backpack, floating in the air as they deflected bullets.

The swords mecha-shifted and began to glow brighter until a white laser appeared from in between them, quickly cutting one Bullhead in half and slicing the wing off the other. Without missing a beat, the girl shifted her swords back, knocking away any Fang that approached her while keeping her attention locked on Roman, slowly approaching him.

 _I believe now is the time to run,_ Roman thought as the girl lodged her weapons into a third Bullhead and pulled it into the bay. _Yes, definitely the time._ He slipped down into a prepared bolthole outside of the warehouse and began running through the sewers.

 _Jeez._ _What are they feeding these Academy kids?_

\-------------------------------------------

All things considered, the night hadn’t gone _too_ poorly. Ruby had found her wayward teammate, got Penny’s scroll number, and helped stop a robbery. On the other hand, she could have done without the head injury or being questioned by the police. _At least this cold pack feels nice_.

Ruby groaned, both from the pain of her bruised head and from the thought of explaining the night to Professor Goodwitch. _We’re_ soooo _gonna get detention! I didn’t even get to see Sun or Penny fight! Sun’s weapon looks so cool! I wonder what alloy he uses for the barrels to make them withstand the shear force when he-_

Her reverie was interrupted by Penny laying a hand on her arm. “Friend Ruby, your sister and Weiss are here.” Ruby looked up and saw her worried-looking teammates.

“Ruby?!” Yang yelled, running towards her. “Are you okay?” Yang spared a glance at Blake, who was sitting on a nearby crate, holding a cold pack of her own to her forehead and talking quietly with Sun. Blake waved sheepishly at Yang. Weiss took a deep breath and squared her shoulders nearly imperceptibly, before separating from the group to approach the pair of Faunus.

“I’m fine! I just got a bruise, Yang,” Ruby said, shoving away her protective sister. “Ten seconds into the fight I got shot under a pile of boxes,” she added dejectedly.

“Aw, Rubes, these things happen. Everybody has an off-day.” Yang put a hand on her sister’s shoulder, before turning to Penny. “Hey, thanks for looking after my sister for me.”

“It was my pleasure!” Penny said with a grin. “Though you should probably help Weiss resolve the tension she has with Blake.” Yang and Ruby blinked rapidly, surprised at Penny’s astute observation.

“I’ll go help with that,” Ruby said, standing up slowly to avoid becoming light-headed. “Thanks for sticking around, Penny.” She pulled the girl into a quick hug, and Penny got just enough time to reciprocate before Ruby was walking towards the other group.

“You better treat my sister right,” Yang warned, making an “I’m-watching-you" gesture before she headed over to the impromptu team meeting.

At the crate, the monochromatic pair had managed to make eye contact at this point, but neither one seemed able to articulate what she was feeling. Sun looked on with concern.

“Hey, Weiss-” Ruby began.

“I’m sorry I left without explaining some things,” Blake interrupted, not taking her gaze off Weiss.

“I’m sorry that I made you feel unwelcome,” Weiss responded, continuing the staring match. The words came somewhat hesitantly, like she had to force them out, but the emotion in them nevertheless sounded sincere. “I...I wasn't in a proper frame of mind when I talked earlier. But while that may excuse the cruelty with which I chose those particular words, the sentiment behind them was indeed genuine.” Weiss’s voice remained steady, but when she lowered her eyes after this admission, Ruby was shocked to see tears brimming behind the pale lashes. 

Meeting Blake’s gaze again, Weiss continued. “I have allowed myself to continue my father's bigotry because I assumed that the White Fang and the Faunus were one and the same. I'm going to work towards separating them in my mind - a project I should have undertaken long ago.

“In the meantime, I understand if you need some distance from me for your own wellbeing. It may take some time for me to become the kind of teammate you deserve.” She paused there to level an accusatory finger at Blake, who tensed slightly. “That said, you do _not_ get to run off without explaining things to the rest of our team.”

Blake let out a small huff of acknowledgment and visibly relaxed, a small smile coming onto her face. At this, Weiss allowed herself to smile in return, her shoulders dropping in relief as Ruby, Yang and Sun looked on.

“Looks like they’re not going to kick you out after all,” Sun said playfully to Blake.

“I still don’t know how I feel about you, mind!” Weiss raised her hand warningly at Sun, regaining some of her icy composure.

“She’s apparently still salty that the cute boy got away from her earlier,” Yang said in a faux-whisper to Ruby. “Mrow!” Ruby and Weiss began to blush as Yang chuckled to herself.

“Please, she’s not my type,” Sun replied good-naturedly. Weiss glared at him.

“If I am not your type, then who is?!” she said indignantly.

“My boyfriend is a prime example of my type," Sun said with a smirk. Weiss blinked in surprise. Yang gave Sun a grin and a congratulatory fist bump.

“So, how’d you snag your boy?” Yang said, slinging an arm over Sun’s shoulder as he pulled out his scroll with a smile.

“Well, it all started with a trip to the pool-” 

Ruby laughed at the blonds’ antics, and Weiss joined in to criticize the boyfriend’s fashion choices. But as Ruby mentally stepped back from the conversation, she noticed something.

_Why did Penny leave without saying goodbye?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just think Roman is mostly into dudes.
> 
> Beta'd by volchitsa_of_winterfell


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The forces of Salem make some moves, even as dissent begins to bubble up in their ranks.
> 
> Ironwood and Ozpin meet to discuss diplomacy and a certain ginger student.
> 
> Team RWBY shares some bonding time and Jaune is made uncomfortable.

Mercury wasn’t happy about his Tuesday assignment. He had joined up with these mysterious loons in order to make money, hurt people and leave behind his stupid old man. 

Specifically, Mercury wasn’t pleased that his current job was to kill a bookseller. _I understand plugging leaks, but is this man really dangerous enough to require sending both of us?_ He eyed up his current partner, Emerald. Unlike him, she had an odd code of ethics around her status as a criminal. Like that quiet squirt that Roman kept, Emerald followed Cinder around like a pet, wanting some sort of validation from the cold woman, taking silence as gratitude and taking displeasure very, _very_ personally. At least Roman treated his groupie with actual affection, as odd as the conman was in general. But Emerald’s situation made Mercury sick to his stomach, reminding him of his own doe-eyed devotion to his father in the early days of his training. _‘The man who opened my eyes,’_ Mercury scoffed internally. _Yeah, to the horrors of humanity_.

Mercury might be a gun for hire, but even he had standards for employers, and every day it seemed Cinder and her new buddy Adam discovered new ways to come up short. _Like today, for instance,_ he thought with finality, pushing open the door to Tukson’s bookshop.

“Be right there!” Mercury heard a voice yell from the back room, as he pretended to peruse the magazine rack. _Who’s actually interested in this crap?_

Tukson pushed through the double doors leading from the break room and froze, eyes wide in alarm. _I guess he recognizes us,_ Mercury thought, signalling to Emerald to start pulling the blinds. 

“How can I help you?” the man said slowly.

Mercury began eyeing up his target, taking in any detail, any weakness he could exploit as Emerald droned on, distracting the mark. Tukson was a middle-aged man of lean build, with large sideburns - _ew, gross_ \- framing his tired face. Mercury shifted a little to get a better view, and Tukson’s eyes flashed. _Damn, no discernable eye damage - but this also means light can provide an easy stun_. Faunus with untrained auras were more prone to losing their vision with enough exposure, as the reflective coating that gave them their night vision would essentially burn their eyes from the inside.

Looking at the bookseller’s limbs, Mercury could detect no limp but could see a slight click in his right elbow. _Likely an injury from combat, making it an easier arm to pin. It seems he’s kept up an exercise regimen as well._

Finally, he moved on to senses. From his information, Tukson was a puma Faunus, which meant enhanced hearing - _looks like a flashbang will do nicely_ \- and his trait was his claws. _His file mentioned something about ‘Animist abilities’ but no one bothered explaining that to us. Adam told us to quit it when we asked before muttering about religion._ Mercury facepalmed mentally. _For gods’ sake, the nerve of some employers, expecting excellent service with little information given. Still, a job’s a job - and it looks like the fun part is about to start._

“You know who we are, don’t you?” Emerald was saying, toying with the straps of her weapons behind her hips. Mercury shifted in place, discreetly checking the fittings on his greaves before mentally readying himself.

“Yes,” Tukson growled, unsheathing his claws. _Ooh, pointy. We’ll see how they fare against steel._

“And you know why we’re here?” Emerald asked again. _And people think I’m dramatic. She’s taking after Cinder already._

“Yes,” Tukson replied, warily moving out from behind the counter to face the pair directly.

“So...are you going to fight back?” Emerald asked with a smirk. Tukson didn’t answer so much as roar. The man got into a battle stance as his aura flared orange, covering his body in its protection. Mercury noticed an odd concentration in two specific areas as Tukson’s eyes narrowed into cat-like slits, and his aura projected from his...claws? _Fascinating. Too bad we have to kill him, I’d love to learn how that works._ His examination was cut short as the Faunus lunged at the pair, and Mercury grinned.

_The fun part._

\----------------------------------

As they left, Emerald took a look at her drab partner. Whether at team meetings or sitting in the hideout he always seemed aloof, like he was watching for something. Emerald wasn’t sure what, but Cinder had taught her to keep an eye on her allies, “lest they turn into your worst enemies.” Emerald smirked. 

Getting to know people only made incapacitating them easier thanks to her semblance, and she already knew enough about Mercury to know a few of his pressure points. _Boredom, arrogance, his father._ But what struck her as the most odd was that they had just killed a White Fang deserter and Mercury had walked out of the shop with an armful of pilfered Faunus history books.

“Why did you-?” She trailed off, unwilling to finish the question.

The satisfied smile she received back from her partner unsettled her. “Sometimes, you just want to read a nice book.”

\----------------------------------

“Children, please! Do not play with your food!” the angry blonde teacher yelled, flicking her riding crop at the mess in front of her. Sun watched wide-eyed as the holes in the ceiling repaired themselves, the trash was swept into the corner, and the tables were all righted and put back to their proper places.

He stared at his new friends and another team as they picked themselves off the floor, giggling and recounting events of the food fight to each other. They looked tired and in need of a shower, so he decided he would hold off on the introductions until later. Forgetting for a moment that he wasn’t there alone, Sun turned to Neptune, who had never met them before.

“Uh, babe, why are your new friends like you but even _worse_?” Neptune said quizzically. Sun beamed.

\----------------------------------

Roman was not happy to see the kids again. At least these ones. Neo, he liked, but Heels and Green Bean rubbed him the wrong way. Heels had a bit too much fun with murder - _not that I have a leg to stand on there_ \- and Green Bean had some sort of sick mother-daughter dynamic with Matchstick that made him shudder when he thought about it too much.

“So glad to see you kiddos again, did Matchstick give you lunch this time? I don’t like having to cater to you two when I’ve got custody,” Roman remarked over his shoulder, sitting up from his position on the couch.

“Shut up, Roman,” Green Bean snarled, stomping up to him in her sandals. _Real intimidating, brat_.

“Or what? You’ll tell me where you’ve been all day? Would it have something to do with this?” He stood up and pulled out the piece of paper with Tukson’s bookshop address on it. He had swiped it from the kid earlier that day as he passed her in the hall. _Child’s play_.

“I told you I didn’t lose it!” Green Bean rounded on Heels, her face flushing in embarrassment. Heels looked unimpressed - _you and me both, pal_.

“Whatever. Point is, I wanna know what you two were doing on my turf-” His question was interrupted as the offending piece of paper caught fire, and Roman looked up to see Matchstick descending from the gantry to the floor of the hideout proper.

“They were taking care of a loose end, Roman. See to it that you do not become one.” _This stuff sounds better when I say it_ . _But of_ course _Green Bean is eating up her words anyway. I can’t really blame her, though - hot and crazy is a dangerous combination._

“How is it he wasn’t disposed of sooner?” Matchstick asked, hands behind her back as she reached the floor and walked towards them.

“Honestly, I wasn’t even planning on it,” Roman admitted, throwing up his hands at the glare his response received. “The guy’s a good source of information! And his shop stocks the author I like. Kinda a shame to whack him if you ask me, but hey, you’re the boss now.” Every day, Roman was reconsidering his pledge to help these wackos - a sentiment he noticed was shared by Heels. _Something to use in the future_.

“You are correct, Roman. And by the way, as a reward for your good work, we’ll have you moving on from Dust robberies.”

“It would be nice to be filled in on this ‘grand purpose’ of yours. You know, so I can do my job better?” Roman asked, idly playing with his cane.

“Hmmph. What you receive is up to me,” Matchstick replied, pulling out a small flash drive before throwing it to the conman. “Your next list of targets is on there, along with any other details you may need.”

“And if I need more?” Roman asked warily.

“Then improvise,” Matchstick replied, sauntering away with her two charges. Roman groaned and settled down to work on his new objectives, his mood only improving when eventually Neo appeared behind him with a package of his favorite snacks. She poked him in the cheek to open his mouth, feeding him a gummy worm while she looked over his shoulder at the readouts he had spent the last hour appraising. After she finished skimming the materials, she moved in front of him to sit on his computer desk.

“We’re robbing hospitals now?” she said in Vale sign language, flashing concerned mismatched eyes at him. “This is _a lot_ of equipment.”

“It’s just a job, Neo, it’s just a job.” Roman said, trying to convince himself as much as his protégé. _What are they planning?_

\----------------------------------

 _I’m not happy to be sitting here like a glorified secretary while two of the most powerful men in the world measure each others’ dicks_ , Glynda thought, looking up from her paperwork at the arrival of General Ironwood.

“Ozpin!” Ironwood said amiably. _Hmm. His smile doesn’t reach his eyes._

“Hello, General,” Ozpin replied. Ozpin wasn’t an easy man to read at the best of times, but Glynda thought she could hear amusement in his tone. That, or his coffee had just kicked in. Professor Oobleck was the only one to come close to Oz’s love for the beverage.

“Please, no formalities.” Ironwood waved off the label like it was an equal rights petition. “This is more of a social visit.” 

“What brings you to Beacon, James? Surely whatever you have to say could have been discussed over scrolls?”

“Already trying to get me to leave, Ozpin?” Ironwood joked.

“No, nothing of the sort,” Ozpin replied. “It’s just quite a lot of effort to come here accompanying your students.” Ozpin peered out the window at the small retinue of airships hovering above Beacon’s grounds. “And you certainly brought a sizable escort with you.”

“It never hurts to be cautious. I’d heard of the recent string of Dust robberies and thought bringing a show of force would perhaps get them to cease.”

Ozpin sighed at this. “Our philosophies on force are very different, James. I would hope we wouldn’t have to resort to threatening displays so quickly. Are you sure your fears aren’t caused by something else?” Ozpin’s features slid into a slight smile. “A new special student, perhaps? I’ve heard she’s quite taken with you.”

Glynda couldn’t believe her eyes. Ironwood was _blushing._

“She, uh, is free to make up her mind. I will admit to not having the best understanding of her social life,” Ironwood stammered out. _Stammered. A cybernetically-enhanced general was behaving like a schoolgirl being asked to a dance._ Glynda snorted to herself. _Seems the rumors of Ironwood’s ‘adoptive’ daughter aren’t as far fetched as I would have previously thought._

Ironwood rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “I worry about her. Not just personally. I worry about the potential hazard she represents,” Ironwood said with finality. The formerly jovial air of the conversation was suppressed by the rising tension in his voice. “We don’t know what Miss Polendina is fully capable of at this juncture, nor how she was-”

“Do not say _created_ , James,” Ozpin said with a warning tone. “She was born, just as much as any other person.” Ironwood stiffened, irritated by the interruption.

“Nevertheless, these ships are just as much for her safety as they are precautions against a potential catastrophic lapse in judgment.” Ironwood continued matter-of-factly, as if giving a speech.

“Ah, but whose judgment, James?” Ozpin replied cryptically, turning away from the conversation to walk back to his desk. Ironwood got the message and walked out of the office, leaving Glynda to sit there in wonder.

 _Well, today’s dick-measuring was over a teenage girl - wait, phrasing._ Glynda groaned. _I’ve spent too much time supervising Miss Xiao Long lately, it seems._

\----------------------------------

Ruby had been staring at her scroll for 20 minutes. She had finally worked up the courage to text Penny. 

She’d thought the internal debate she had beforehand would be the worst part of the gesture. She’d been mistaken. Waiting for a reply was _so_ much worse. 

_Would it be weird to send a second text? Is she mad that it took me so long to say something? Was asking the question too weird? Where’s Yang when I need-_

Ruby’s thoughts were cut off by her scroll vibrating. It startled her so badly that she fumbled it off of her bed and onto the floor. She dove to retrieve it, climbing back up into her bunk and huddling under her blankets as she opened the message, imagining the worst.

Ruby’s initial text read: “What happened at the docks the other day? Where did you go?”

Penny’s reply - _Yay, it was her! -_ read: _“_ Apologies, Friend Ruby! I was out past curfew and my father called wanting me back as soon as possible.” Ruby sighed with relief. _So it wasn’t anything my team or I did._

“Oh, that’s totally fine, I understand having a dad!” she sent back - and immediately slapped herself for her stupid reply. _Okay, Rose, time to salvage the conversation._ “Why do you call me ‘Friend Ruby’?’” she asked, before adding, “Not that I mind! Was just curious.” 

Ruby watched the typing bubbles appear and disappear for two minutes before the reply message came through. “I was raised within the military, and everyone there has some sort of title. They always sounded so important. So when I meet someone I find important, I give them a label. It helps me put words to my feelings.” Ruby almost melted. _Penny finds me important? Also, wait, military? - Oh right, she’s from Atlas._

“What was it like growing up in Atlas?”

This time the typing bubbles danced for five minutes, then: “I wasn’t actually born there. My father adopted me when I was 8. I don’t remember much before that, but everyone tells me it wasn’t a very good place. My father works in Mantle as a prosthetist, but I spent a lot of time with the military up in Atlas. I have a very nice Aunt and Uncle there, even if they’re a bit silly at times.”

“Silly how?” Ruby asked, thinking of her own wayward uncle.

This reply was immediate: “Pretending to be calm when they are truly passionate.” Ruby chuckled at that. _These people sound like Weiss._

“I’m glad you found a nice family, and I’m sorry that happened to you, even if you don’t remember it.”

“Thank you, Friend Ruby. I have better memories to keep now.” 

Before Ruby could type anything more, the dorm room door was flung open dramatically and Yang stepped through it. “Rubes!” Yang hollered, despite Ruby being mere feet away. Ruby poked her head out through her bed’s canopy sheets. “We’re gonna play ‘Remnant: The Game’!” Ruby looked behind her to see Weiss and Blake with differing mixes of resignation and bemusement on their faces.

“Awesome!” Ruby said with a beaming smile. “Just lemme grab my scroll!” 

She typed up a quick message to Penny: “I gotta go! It’s time for team bonding! Text me anytime!” 

She waited for the reply before turning her scroll to silent and joining the rest of her team. It read: “I will, Friend Ruby. This has been sensational.”

\----------------------------------

Ruby was glad for an opportunity to unwind as a team after the previous weekend’s events. _This time we even did something enjoyable together!_ Her joy faded slightly looking at her teammates. _I mean, Weiss looks confused more than anything and Blake is 100% bored. But at least we’re all here!_

“Giant Nevermore!” Yang said triumphantly, rolling a pair of dice, which landed on a ten. Yang whooped in excitement, pointing her fingers at her sister's face. “Success! The Atlas fleet is doomed!”

“Yang, would you please keep the volume down? We are at least nominally in a library,” Weiss said coolly, her gaze remaining on the rule book. She only looked up when it was her turn.

“Speaking of doom, who’s going to be our reps in the doubles matches? Your turn, Weiss.” The rest of the team blinked at Yang’s sudden change of topic, but went along with it regardless.

“I move my infantry to Mountain Glenn, recruit huntsmen at Shade, trade in ice Dust for fire, and pass,” Weiss said, putting down the rules book as she narrated her movements for the kingdom of Vacuo. “And I think it should be myself-”

She was interrupted by Ruby who added “And Yang.” The rest of the team was momentarily silent. They were surprised because not only had Ruby cut off Weiss, she had recommended someone other than herself.

“Your reasoning?” Weiss asked with a cocked eyebrow. Blake was glad for the reprieve from taking her turn.

Ruby counted off on her fingers. “I’m better at fighting Grimm than people, and while the practice wouldn’t hurt, a tournament isn’t the best place for that. Blake works best when given scenery to ambush from and allies to help her flank enemies, both of which diminish rapidly in the doubles matches. Yang is good at breaking through defensive lines and is our most physically powerful member. And Weiss is perhaps the most talented support huntress Beacon has seen in years, and can shore up Yang’s faults while covering herself and effectively engaging the enemy.” Weiss blushed at the praise, while Yang looked a little miffed at the implication that her faults needed specialized help to be overcome.

Blake was mostly just impressed. “That’s a lot of thought put into an off-handed question,” she said, drawing her cards for the turn. Ruby rubbed the back of her head and giggled bashfully. “So, in honor of your strategic genius,” Blake smirked. “I propose an alliance to destroy Atlas between my sister nations. Agreed?” Ruby’s mouth fell open as Yang and Weiss quickly voiced their consent.

“ _N_ _oooooooooooooo_ ~” Ruby wailed dramatically, flopping her upper half backwards over her chair. “Oh, hi Jaune!” she exclaimed, seeing a familiar blond mop approaching her upside down. _Well, I’m the one that’s upside down - you know what, let’s just fix that._ She righted herself and turned to face her friend. Jaune was followed by the rest of his team, who chose to sit down at a nearby table.

“Hey, guys. You playing Remnant: The Game?” Jaune asked nervously.

“Yup!” Ruby said with a smile, before it quickly turned into a frown. “Sorry, Jaune, we don’t have the Menagerie expansion, otherwise we’d let you join in.” Jaune didn’t respond, instead shooting a look at Blake, of all people. He looked guilty.

“Jaune, do you have a problem with Blake?” Ruby was aware of his infatuation with Weiss, but that seemed to have cooled recently. _Or he got better at hiding it._ But the Blake thing was new. _Wait, now Weiss is looking guilty._ “Weiss, why are _you_ acting weird?”

Weiss hid behind the rulebook, before replying quietly. “I may have informed team JNPR that Blake was a Faunus.” The shocked expression on Blake’s face told Ruby the rest of the story.

“Weiss-” Ruby started disapprovingly.

“It was inadvertent,” Weiss added, still not coming out from behind her barricade.

“You still shouldn’t have done that, snowflake,” Yang chided, putting her cards down and shooting a dark look at the heiress before turning to Blake with concern on her face. “Do you want to take a break? We can go outside and get some air if you’d like.” Yang glared at Jaune as a new thought seemed to occur to her. “You’re not going to spread this information around, are you, Jaune?”

Jaune audibly gulped as Yang’s lilac eyes bored into him, and mimed zipping his lips shut. Yang responded with a satisfied smirk before looking back at Blake solicitously.

“I think I’m done for today,” Blake finally decided, meeting Weiss’s eyes over the rulebook that she was still clutching like a shield. Some sort of understanding seemed to pass between them. 

After a moment, Blake stood up to leave. “Jaune, you can take my spot - I was about done playing anyway.” Ruby pouted at this, causing Blake to chuckle. Blake paused to ruffle Ruby’s hair as she passed by. “Not everyone likes board games, Ruby. Thanks for the invitation anyway, Yang. Weiss... We’ll talk later, but I think I’m okay.” As she left the library, she called out over her shoulder, “Oh, and you may have inherited a land war in Atlas, Jaune.”

Jaune sat down, and looked at his cards and the position of the pieces on the board, punctuating his thoughts with nods and whispers under his breath. Weiss smirked at his mental exertion, apparently glad to have someone to tease after the previous tension in the group. “Is it overwhelming you? We can play a simpler game if you’d like.”

Before Jaune could respond, a different blond head poked out from between the stacks. “Hey guys!” Sun said warmly, looking around the table. “Where’s Blake?”

“Board game,” Ruby replied, gesturing at the table as if it gave a full explanation.

“I see,” Sun nodded understandingly, before snapping his fingers. “Oh! I forgot to tell you guys - guess who came into town last week?”

“Other people you can annoy?” Weiss responded. Ruby noticed that Weiss seemed more tense than she had a moment ago.

“The guy who stole your shirts?” Yang added.

“Didn’t _you_ just get here?” Ruby asked.

“Uh. Who are you?” Jaune said, puzzled.

“Oh, I’m Sun! I’m a friend of Blake’s,” Sun replied without missing a beat. He reached behind the bookshelf to pull at something, “Aaaaaaaand this is my boyfriend Neptune!” he beamed as a new boy came into view.

Ruby looked the newcomer up and down. _The pictures were accurate._ If Ruby were interested in men, she’d find him attractive. She liked his style, even if Weiss didn’t, and he seemed just as happy in person as he had in the pictures Sun had shown them. _Happy always looks nice._ Neptune smoothed out the rumples on his shirt before looking at the table.

“Hello ladies,” Neptune said, his tone too schmaltzy to be actually alluring. _Okay, I take it all back, he talks weird_. “And who are _you_?” he added, directing his question at Jaune before turning to Sun. “You didn’t tell me you found another blond hunk in town, babe.” Neptune sashayed over to Jaune, placing a hand on the table and leaning closer to him. “Well aren’t you a snack?”

“I’m a what?” Jaune asked, panicking slightly and leaning away from the blue-haired newcomer as Pyrrha suddenly became very interested in the conversation. “Oh, I’m, uh, flattered, but I’m straight. Not that there’s anything wrong with being gay! My sister is, but just, um, can you back up please?” 

Neptune stayed put, appearing to be considering Jaune’s words, until a firm hand was placed on his shoulder. He looked up to see the wrath of the Gods personified. _Well, an angry Mistrali woman with the body of a goddess, at least._

 _Oh, this is bad. She’s wearing her talking-to-journalists smile_. “Greetings. I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced, but my teammate would like his personal space,” she said warmly, at least on the surface - everyone but Jaune could feel the veiled threat. Neptune got the message, one that was helpfully accentuated by the tightening of steel-like fingers on his shoulder until he finally stood up and beat a hasty retreat to Sun, hiding behind Sun’s shoulder.

“I was right earlier,” Neptune said, “Your friends _are_ worse than you.” Both tables got a nice laugh out of that, though Pyrrha still seemed a bit upset that her territory had been encroached upon.

Pleasantries were exchanged and the Haven pair bid their goodbyes and left their new friends to their game. Pyrrha sat back down with Nora and Ren, and Jaune picked his cards back up, brushing a cursory glance across the table.

“It _was_ your turn, Jaune.” Weiss reminded him coolly before smirking. “Do we need to pick a less challenging game for you to play?”

“Mistrali forces have infiltrated your supply lines,” He said calmly, placing down three cards from his hand. “Give me half your Dust reserves,” Jaune smirked back.

\----------------------------------

 _Give me half a chance, and here I am - sitting by myself and brooding,_ Blake thought as she sat on the windowsill, gazing out into the night. _It’s not even enough to have a team that supports you, is it, Blake?_ Her internal monologue took on a dark quality as its voice shifted into a masculine sneer, an air of malice creeping into the words. _You need the humans to bleed for what they’ve done to our people - to you, trampled at your first protest by those_ _scum_ _who scorn their betters. The Faunus will prosper with our gift from the God of Darkness. And_ you _would do well to remember that, my darling._ Blake slapped her face in frustration, willing away Adam’s voice with as much energy as she could muster.

Blake would have preferred to have never thought of her time in the White Fang again, but looking back, it was obvious that she had been deluded by wishful thinking. She was haunted by regrets, but she had chosen to forget them for a long time. Her actions in the Fang, her...relationship...with Adam, her friendship with Ilia, her parents....

She didn’t want to think about those things, but she realized with a sigh that she _had_ to - especially if it would cause more strife with her newfound friends. Now that was a nice thought: she could finally call other people “friends” after all those years having just Ilia in that category. It was a refreshing change from the array of “comrades” and “superiors” she had forced herself to grow up with.

 _Ilia, though_....Blake doubted Ilia would still be her friend after the way Blake had left. Ilia had always been the more aggressive of the two, but acted strangely possessive whenever Blake tried to learn more from Adam about the Fang’s military activities. Blake continued to ponder her old friend, tracing through the memories she had of the chameleon Faunus, when her team burst through the dorm door in animated conversation.

“I’m still surprised he bounced back from that invasion,” Yang said. She was carrying the boxed-up game under one arm and holding the door open with the other.

“I was certainly surprised how tactically he could think,” Weiss replied, turning the corner to sit on her bed.

“Well, he did tell me he had seven sisters and that they played together a lot,” Ruby said, poking Yang in the ribs as she passed.

“Seven?” Weiss asked incredulously as Yang jabbed back at Ruby, quickly escalating it into a poking war between the two.

“And I thought one was bad,” Yang adds teasingly, holding her shorter sister at arm’s length as Ruby flailed her arms dramatically trying to reach Yang’s sides. Weiss quickly agreed with her before turning to Blake.

“Blake? How are you feeling?” Weiss began tentatively.

“I’m feeling” - Blake searched for the right word - “tired. It’s not because of you telling Jaune. I was just thinking about the past.”

“You don’t have to tell us about it if you don’t want to,” Ruby said, motioning for a ceasefire with Yang, who relented.

“Just know we’re here for you,” Yang said as she slid the board game back into its spot on the shelf.

“Thanks, everyone,” Blake said with a faint smile, turning to meet the concerned and supportive eyes of her team. “I’m just worried about the White Fang. That wasn’t a small operation we uncovered. And Torchwick being involved is concerning. I’m afraid they’ve only gotten worse since I’ve left, and now...”

“You feel like you can’t do anything to stop them?” Weiss supplied.

“Yes.” Blake was surprised with how _empathetic_ the frosty heiress sounded.

“Nope,” her crimson-clad leader said brightly, popping the ‘p.’

“What do you mean?” Blake turned to regard Ruby, who was pointing a finger at Blake.

“Nope!” Ruby repeated with even more energy. “We may be students but we’re huntresses! In training, at least. You can always do _something_ to help,” she finished more quietly, thumbing the hem of her cloak.

“Yeah,” Yang said with soft pride, putting an arm over her sister’s shoulder. “We’re willing to lend a hand if you have a plan, Blake.” Weiss nodded at this, but still seemed unsure if she should be involved at all.

Blake looked upon the scene fondly before letting out a large yawn. “While this show of support is heartwarming,” she said with a chuckle, “maybe we should make plans tomorrow?” Ruby nodded, before letting out a bigger yawn herself.

“Dibs on the bathroom!” Yang said quickly, slamming the door in front of a complaining Weiss. Ruby muttered something under her breath about unfair sisters and Jaune’s board game prowess as Weiss began the long process of fastidiously brushing her hair out for bed.

_This feels like a home._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ironwood is just an awkward step-dad, and Adam is an angry atheist.  
> Roman likes gummy worms *shrug*  
> Jaune has 7 sisters. The real question is, "Why wouldn't he be good at board games?"
> 
> Beta'd by volchitsa_of_winterfell


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake explains herself to her teammates and they come up with a plan of action, inadvertently gaining the support of Sun and Neptune.
> 
> Plan A: Collect SDC Information, immediately goes awry as Ruby chases after her suspiciously awkward friend.
> 
> What secret is Penny hiding?

The day’s classes could not go by fast enough for Ruby. Her thoughts kept circling back to: _I wanna help Blaaaaaaake_. Luckily for her, after bidding team JNPR goodnight and entering team RWBY’s room, it seemed her teammates were all on the same page.

Yang was the first to break the awkward silence after everyone had gotten dressed for bed. “So how are we gonna go about this, Blake?” She looked expectantly at her partner.

“First, I want to talk about my time in the White Fang a little,” Blake said hesitantly, looking over at Weiss. Ruby moved to sit next to the heiress, putting an arm around her shoulder. Blake hastily added, “I don’t have to-”

“If you feel it’s important, please,” Weiss said softly. “But I’ll let you know if it gets to be too much.” Ruby squeezed her partner tighter and to everyone’s surprise, Weiss leaned into the contact with a faint blush on her face - one that was quickly mirrored by Ruby. _I know this is the wrong time to be thinking this but she smells so nice, oh my gods-_

Blake took a moment to get her thoughts in order before continuing. “I was a member of the White Fang for as long as I can remember. My parents were actually among the founders of the movement, and once I was old enough to understand their work, I joined in.” Blake sighed. “But the peaceful protests my parents supported didn’t last. People thought we were making too little progress and opted for more _aggressive_ tactics.” Weiss’s hands clenched her bed sheets tightly but she did not interject.

“I’m ashamed to say I took part in them,” Blake went on. “I was young and wanted change. I left my parents behind when I was twelve, leaving with a...friend and my future boyfriend” _\- Yang does not look pleased by that news_ , Ruby noticed _-_ “and came to Vale. Up until last year, I’d been running interference with local law enforcement, organizing what good-faith protests continued and,” Blake looked over at Weiss guiltily, “robbing SDC shipments.”

“What made you reconsider? It sounds like this cause was your entire life,” Weiss said softly, looking up to meet Blake’s gaze.

“Adam,” Blake said, trying unsuccessfully to hide the pain and venom in her voice. “My boyfriend of the time. He always wanted _more_. I admired his drive to create a better place for the Faunus. He was charismatic, older, and highly skilled. But one day last year, I saw what that drive had turned into. It wasn’t for the Faunus anymore, it was just...revenge. I was helping rob a Dust train, and it had people on it.”

“Unusual for a Dust shipment,” Weiss considered.

Blake nodded. “That’s what I thought as well. Our plan had been to steal what we could carry back and then blow up the train. When I learned there were people on it, Adam just handed me a case of explosives and said ‘What about them?’” Every other member of team RWBY blanched at that chilling detail. 

“There were _Faunus_ workers on that train as well, and he said that they were casualties of a just war, and would live on in our memories.” Blake was nearing tears at this point. “So when I got onto the outside of the train, I did what I always do: I ran. I took my weapon and my pack, and leapt off the train. It took me a week to get back to civilization. I pawned off my explosives to a military depot and slowly made my way to Beacon, hoping for a second chance.” 

Blake looked up through watery eyes to see Yang standing in front of her, arms open. Blake took the opportunity, nearly bowling her partner over in the haste for some comfort. _Yang really does give good hugs_ , Ruby thought, glad to see Blake relaxing as Yang whispered soothing words into her ears. Ruby turned to her own partner, who was wearing an expression of shock.

“What are you thinking about, Weiss?” Ruby prodded gently, pressing closer to her partner.

“Just the thought that perhaps even the Fang aren’t irredeemable,” Weiss answered quietly. Now it was Ruby’s turn to be shocked.

“What-?”

“I want to fix the SDC, Ruby. I’d be a fool not to see the sham my grandfather’s company has become under the dictatorship of my father. Profits pushed over people, rights, and ethics.” Yang and Blake had sat down at this point, arms slung around each other as they regarded the other pair. 

Weiss continued, “I’m just one person, and the task I have in front of me is immense.” She looked pointedly at Blake. “I’m honestly envious that you had allies in your cause, as twisted as your means may have been. And if I believe that my company is redeemable - that I’m redeemable,” she added quietly, “- then it stands to reason perhaps the Fang can be saved as well.” Weiss grimaced before adding, “Not that I want to go near it anytime soon. The wounds are still too fresh.””

“I can understand that,” Blake said. “And I would like to help you in your efforts.”

“Much obliged,” Weiss nodded.

“Time to fight and/or save an evil organization!” Ruby cheered, pumping her fist in the air. “What’s the first step, Blake?”

“Aren’t you the team leader?” Blake replied, arching an eyebrow.

“Yeah, but I’m not a Faunus. Your voice is more important here.”

“Oh,” Blake said quietly, before sitting up straighter. “Well. I believe our first step should be information. We don’t want to go into this blind.”

“I can go to the CCT and check the SDC records for any inconsistencies,” Weiss suggested.

“I wanna go with!” Ruby said.

“Why?” Blake tilted her head.

“Because I haven’t seen it yet and it sounds so cool!”

“You may accompany me, so long as you behave,” Weiss sighed affectionately.

“I have a contact I can talk to,” Yang supplied.

Ruby groaned. “Is this the guy you got into a bar fight with?” 

Weiss turned to Yang in surprise. “You got into a bar fight?” she asked.

“Story for another time, Princess,” Yang winked.

“I’d...like to go to a White Fang meeting,” Blake said quietly.

“Not without backup you’re not,” Ruby said matter-of-factly. “I can switch over from the CCT part-”

“One problem, Rubes,” Yang interrupted.

“What?”

“You’re not a Faunus,” Weiss sighed.

“Oh. Right. I knew that,” Ruby said shamefully before regaining her energy, “Could we ask another Faunus friend of ours to help?”

“I’ll do it!” A muffled voice shouted. The members of team RWBY jumped in shock at the sound of a new voice in the conversation. They turned to find the source and saw a blond tail swishing outside of their closed window. Ruby ran to open the window, and Sun stepped into the room, sitting down on the balcony.

“Hi guys!” Sun said, either not noticing or not caring about the various states of undress team RWBY was in. Weiss squeaked and covered herself with her blanket, while the others had bigger concerns.

“Why were you outside our window?” Yang asked.

“And how much did you hear?” Blake asked.

“Uh, babe? A little help?” A second voice sounded from outside.

“You brought Neptune?” Ruby asked incredulously.

“Yeah!” Sun got up and left the room for a moment, returning with a slightly queasy-looking Neptune. “Wouldn’t go anywhere without him.”

“Except Vale,” Neptune grumbled, regaining his composure now that there was a floor beneath him. Sun’s expression fell at that before he bounced back to his usual demeanor.

“Anyway, we were gonna ask you if you wanted to hang out, but then you talked about fighting an evil organization and that sounded _way_ cooler than whatever board game Nep wanted to play.”

“Hey! I’ll have you know Scrabble is a great-” Neptune was cut off by Sun’s tail covering his mouth.

“But why the window?” Yang asked again.

“Climbing trees is fun,” Sun shrugged. “So how can we help?”

“You’re on board for this?” Blake asked Neptune, who gave a shrug of his own.

“Sun likes to help people; I like making sure he comes home in one piece. I can take or leave the adventure part,” the blue-haired teen said, pulling Sun closer. Sun wrapped his tail around his boyfriend’s midsection.

“I knew you cared,” Sun said teasingly.

“Shut up,” Neptune replied, obviously not meaning it.

“Sun can go with Blake to the Fang meeting! And I guess...Neptune can go to the bar with Yang?” Ruby suggested.

“Just don’t come home with anyone else,” Sun said, poking Neptune in the chest as they both laughed.

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Neptune agreed.

Upon Neptune’s suggestion, they traded numbers and started a group chat for their investigations. As the conversation began to turn to idle chat, Ruby noticed the time.

“It’s late,” Ruby said, punctuating her statement with a yawn. “Want to meet up after breakfast tomorrow?” Various noises of agreement were made, and Sun made his way to the window.

“Uh, why are you leaving that way?” Blake asked.

“Because,” Sun replied in a sing-song voice, “it’s _fuuuun_!” And with that he leapt into the darkness, branches rustling in his wake. Team RWBY looked expectantly at Neptune, who laughed.

“Yeah, I’m taking the stairs,” he said as he walked towards the door. “Goodnight, team RWBY. Sorry for” - he gestured towards the open window - “all that.” And with that, the RWBY dorm room was down to its four occupants.

Ruby got up to close the window, hearing Sun and Neptune in the darkness. The window closed, the atmosphere of the room relaxed slightly, and Weiss spoke for the first time since the boys had entered.

“I am buying better blinds for that window,” she said in embarrassment, turning over to sleep.

The rest of the team followed suit, some sleeping more successfully than others as they thought ahead to the next day.

\----------------------------------

Weiss was glad to see her partner so excited despite the recent circumstances. No matter what, Ruby’s enthusiasm was infectious, enabling her to rope the rest of her team into her antics. _Not that she has to try particularly hard with Yang._

Weiss knew Ruby had been worried after her and Blake’s fight. Ruby had even gone out of her way to be careful in her physical affection with Weiss, worried she was going to aggravate her old wounds. _Dolt. They healed years ago._

“Wow, it’s so big!” Ruby said, staring up to the CCT tower’s top. “The relay on Patch doesn’t have anything on that!”

“You should see the one in Atlas,” Weiss replied, smirking at Ruby’s awestruck expression.

“Is it even cooler?!” Ruby squeaked, zooming up to Weiss’s face. Weiss flushed.

“Well, it’s the first and the largest, so I suppose it is,” Weiss admitted, gently backing away from Ruby. Her partner’s proximity had been having more of an effect on her lately. _Damned hormones._

“You’ll have to take me sometime!” Ruby smiled and Weiss’s heart skipped a beat. _Damn that beautiful smile, too._

“Maybe I shall,” Weiss said, trying to regain her composure. Ruby reached into her pocket to pull out her scroll but fumbled it in her haste. It landed a short distance away, at the feet of...Penny?

“Oh, hi Penny!” Ruby said, jogging over to the ginger girl. She bent to pick up her scroll. Penny had not responded by the time she stood up. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“Um, yes, I am fine. Thank you for asking. I’ve got to go,” Penny stammered out, before running away from the pair.

“What was that about?” Weiss asked Ruby, whose gaze flicked between her scroll and the departing girl.

“I don’t know,” Ruby said sadly, pocketing her scroll. “She’s usually so open when we text.” Weiss felt a pang of jealousy run through her as she thought about the two girls becoming closer. Before she could interrogate the feeling, Ruby turned to her and grasped Weiss’s hands in hers. “Can I go see what’s wrong?”

Weiss could see the concern written over Ruby’s face, and the thought of betraying her trust quickly overrode any possessive or disappointed feelings Weiss had. “Go. Just keep in touch,” she finally said.

“Thanks, Weiss!” Ruby gave her a quick hug before dashing down the street after Penny.

\----------------------------------

“Penny! What’s wrong?” Ruby said as she finally cornered her wayward friend. She felt guilty about ditching Weiss like that, but knew she could make it up to the heiress later.

“I just got overwhelmed,” Penny explained hesitantly, her arms folded across her chest, hands rubbing her upper arms nervously. “There were a lot of people around...”

“Oh! Like social anxiety?” Ruby perked up. _That_ she understood. Interacting with people was hard enough for her in one-on-one situations, and navigating crowds was even _worse_.

A thin smile graced Penny’s face. “Something like that,” she said, looking into Ruby’s eyes.

“I totally get that. Hey, wanna go get tea somewhere to calm down?”

“That sounds sensational, Friend Ruby.”

\----------------------------------

“And that’s when Jaune revealed his master plan: he used the unrest to summon Grimm into the city, and the fight exhausted my forces and he swooped in for the kill!” Ruby said between mouthfuls of cookie. They had talked for over an hour at this point, and were currently walking back to a transit station after finishing their tea. Ruby was anxious to reunite with her partner to apologize properly, even after a short text exchange between the two confirming that everything was okay.

“Sounds like this ‘board game’ was more intellectually stimulating than I anticipated,” Penny nodded sagely. “I’ll have to ask my father to purchase a copy.”

“Did your dad come with you to the tournament?” Ruby noticed Penny didn’t talk about her family situation often, though unlike Weiss, the tone she used was fond.

“No, he stayed back in Atlas. His condition makes travel difficult at times. My aunt and uncle are here, though, along with my team.”

“You don’t mention your team much,” Ruby commented, knowing that teams weren’t always as tight-knit as hers. The pair slowed their pace slightly as they entered a large square taken up by a military display.

“Atlas doesn’t focus as much on camaraderie between teammates as other kingdoms do,” Penny noted. “My partner...” Penny trailed off and Ruby followed her gaze to the display. 

General Ironwood’s holographic projection was giving a speech about the latest line of Atlas Knights, vaguely listing off their specifications before going into more militaristic language. Ruby sighed. She loved military hardware, but hated what it was used for. Her passion for engineering of any sort was not so short-sighted that it obscured her objections to what the military did.

She turned to Penny to ask for her opinion just as her friend said under her breath, “I knew I should have avoided Uncle James’s presentation.” Ruby struggled for a moment to comprehend Penny’s sentence, before noticing with a shock that her friend had tears in her eyes.

Before she could begin to comfort Penny, two nearby guards began speaking in an animated manner, jogging towards the pair. “I have seen Ms. Polendina!” One of them said into an earpiece.

“On our way to retrieve her!” the other shouted. Ruby didn’t understand what connection Penny had to the Atlas military, but she knew her friend was upset, and surely whatever the soldiers had in mind wouldn’t help her calm down. Ruby charged up her semblance and grabbed hold of the dazed Penny, whisking her away in a torrent of red and green rose petals.

\----------------------------------

Several alleyways and near misses later, Ruby came to rest in the middle of a small street, her aura nearly spent carrying the extra load such a far distance. She set down Penny a small distance away and regarded the girl, who seemed to have recovered from whatever made her upset in the first place. But Ruby couldn’t contemplate much more as lights quickly began to fill her vision.

Turning to the right, she noticed a delivery truck racing down the small street, unable to stop in time. Ruby tried to get up but her tired legs buckled, and she cried out: “Penny!”

The next few seconds were a blur. One second, Penny was standing still in shock, blinking rapidly at Ruby. The next, the truck had stopped, Penny’s fists embedded deep within the grill, her feet grinding into the pavement as she braced against it.

... _Did Penny just stop that truck?_ Ruby looked at her friend and saw that her hands were covered in metal and her feet were coated in asphalt. There was a green aura flickering through the materials. _Is that her semblance? But she said it lets her track people..._

Ruby couldn’t hear what Penny said after she relaxed her grip on the truck’s front, the material around Penny sloughing off as she relaxed. Ruby’s ears were still ringing from the honk before the crash and the sound of screeching metal during it. But she saw Penny’s cheeks lose all their color as she looked down at her hands, saying something under her breath before running away.

“Wait,” Ruby tried to yell, before finally managing to stand up with the aid of Crescent Rose. She checked the driver of the truck first. _The airbag deployed and he’s still breathing. I can let the paramedics handle this._ She followed the path Penny went down and found her friend nearby some garbage cans, huddled close to the wall and sobbing. “Penny?”

“Don’t come closer!” Penny screamed, not turning to look at Ruby. Ruby had never heard Penny raise her voice before. “Not while I’m...” Penny trailed off into further sobs, holding her arms close to her chest.

“Why,” Ruby asked dumbly, not knowing how to approach her distraught friend.

Penny took a deep shuddering breath. “Are you really my friend, Ruby?”

“Of course I am,” Ruby said with as much sincerity as she could.

“Do you promise?” Penny asked sharply.

“Yes,” Ruby answered soothingly.

“Do. You. Promise?” Penny asked again, this time punctuating the words harshly.

“Yes.” Ruby was starting to get scared, but kept her voice steadfast. 

Penny suddenly flinched before relaxing somewhat, a deep sigh escaping her lips. Ruby’s wayward friend turned around and looked at her properly for the first time in minutes.

“Ruby,” she said, unfolding her limbs. Ruby looked at Penny’s hands and lost her breath. They weren’t the soft pink hands she had previously seen, or the makeshift gauntlets Penny had created to protect Ruby from the truck. They were smoky black flesh, plated in bone and with fingers tapering to sharp white claws. “I’m a Grimm.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by volchitsa_of_winterfell
> 
> Ruby is a good ally (TM).  
> Sun and Neptune are very fun to write.  
> Penny has a frighten.  
> Ruby has a frighten.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Penny and Ruby have a long talk about Penny's secret.
> 
> Yang first grills Junior for information, then is grilled herself by Neptune.
> 
> Sun and Blake somewhat successfully infiltrate a White Fang rally.

“Ruby, I’m a Grimm,” Penny said, and waited for Ruby’s negative emotions to wash over her like acid rain, burning and cleansing all at once.

She hated the effect others’ emotions had on her. Her senses overpowered her own thoughts at times, leaving her unable to do much other than stare while a primal darkness within her urged her to lash out at the source of such feelings. Despite her love of people and of the world, Penny couldn’t rid herself completely of the desire for destruction - the desire to dominate others. When her aura was full, the compulsions were easier to handle. But after training she usually isolated herself, for everyone’s sake.

Penny was glad that she had found accepting people so quickly in her new life. Her father had been the first to see her as a _person_ , followed shortly after by Uncle James and Aunt Winter. She knew that her awful powers made them cautious, but she could also feel their care, as much as the latter two denied it at times. _Silly humans._ Even her partner Ciel seemed fond of her in some way.

The wave of emotions pouring from Ruby pulled Penny out of her reminiscence. Penny categorized the emotions she could feel off of Ruby: _Anger, loyalty, disbelief, acceptance, fear, hatred, love_ . _Wait,_ love _?_ Penny instinctively knew this kind of love was different from the kind her family felt around her _. This feels like the kind of love I sense from people holding hands and blushing as they walk down the street, the kind I feel sometimes in the dorms late at night. It felt more like how Weiss did when we first met._ Penny paused. _Does Weiss love someone? Does Ruby?_

“Penny?” Ruby asked quietly, still looking down. “How?”

“I don’t know,” Penny answered. “I’ve always been like this _._ Uncle Ironwood says it was likely some experiment to fuse together a Geist and a human infant.” She hesitated on the final two words. “But I’m not certain. Any information beyond what I need to understand myself is classified,” she finished with a rueful chuckle.

“But.” Ruby looked up into Penny’s eyes, and Penny could see the humanity burning bright in them, a humanity that Penny couldn’t reflect back to her. “You’re so - so-”

“-Human?” Penny leaned back into a nearby wall and slid to the ground, and Ruby sat down across from her. “I know. I am one, at least partially.” She pulled on her aura, causing the bricks that made up the wall to cover her arm, forming a rudimentary gauntlet. “I have an aura and a Semblance.” She held up her other hand, dropping the bricks as she did. “But I’m also a Grimm, and I have many of their abilities as well.”

“So, the bad situation you told me about was some sort of evil lab?”

“As far as military intelligence is aware, yes. They were never able to locate the facility.”

“That’s fucked up.” Penny blinked in surprise. One of the things Ruby had told her during their brief tea break was that she didn’t curse. “That’s just...really fucked up.” Ruby looked lost for words, disbelief and sadness emanating from her. _It smelled delicious._

“I thought you didn’t swear?”

Ruby chuckled mirthlessly. “Seemed like an appropriate time to.” She paused before asking: “Penny?”

“Yes, Frien- Yes?” Penny couldn’t call Ruby “friend.” _Not when their entire relationship was hanging in the balance._

“Do you want a hug?”

“Yes,” Penny answered without a second thought. Ruby carefully moved towards Penny and opened her arms. Penny leaned into them, careful to keep her claws away from the girl’s back as she reciprocated the hug. It was sensational. _I never knew I needed this from her - no, wanted this from her,_ Penny thought as the calm and care from Ruby flooded her senses.

After a long while, Ruby disengaged but stayed close to Penny, looking into her eyes. “Do you feel better?”

Penny giggled. “Of course,” she replied, before adding in a darker tone: “I’m more worried about you. You just found out your new friend is a monster. That is, if you still consider me your friend.” Ruby flicked Penny on the nose. “Ow!”

“Of course I still want to be your friend, you wacko,” Ruby said with a soft smile. “And you’re not a monster. Not to me.”

“You can’t know that. I am-”

Ruby cut her off. “You are my friend Penny, who likes to knit, has a weird but loving family, and for some reason enjoys hanging out with the engineering nerd who talks too much.” Ruby shrugged. “So what if your abilities are a bit unusual? I’m not going to lie to you and say that it wasn’t a surprise, or that I wasn’t worried or scared. But it’s just a part of who you are. Between you and me, a _lot_ of my friends have personal issues - me included. A bit of Grimm weirdness can’t be too bad, at least if you have some support.” Ruby rubbed Penny’s shoulder. “Your family has helped you, right?”

Penny could do nothing but nod dumbly. This reaction was beyond her wildest dreams. She never would have thought she’d meet someone so accepting and understanding. Everyone else had come into her life already knowing what she was. This was the first person she _chose_ to tell. _It felt wonderful._

“Good. Then allow team RWBY to help you too. I’m not going to tell anyone else, okay?” Ruby asked. Penny nodded. “I pinky-promise that your secret is safe with me,” Ruby added, holding out her pinky finger. Penny stared at it.

“Am I supposed to do something?” Penny asked, gaze flickering back and forth between her friend’s hand and face.

“Oh! You stick out your pinky and then we curl them together and shake on it.”

“You’ll have to show me,” Penny replied, holding up her hand before realizing it was still in Grimm form. “Oh, hold on,” she said, willing her human form to take over, the black flesh evaporating away to reveal normal-looking pink skin. “There, that’s better.” Ruby had an expression of awe on her face.

“You _have_ to tell me how that works,” Ruby said, a curious gleam twinkling in her eye. 

“Perhaps I will sometime,” Penny said, holding out her now-human hand and extending her pinky finger. Ruby took it with her own and shook their hands up and down.

“Now, I have one more question to ask you,” Ruby said, looking at Penny’s other hand still cloaked in its Grimm form. 

Penny focused on Ruby’s emotions, trying to feel out what she was going to request. _Shame, embarrassment, curiosity, fear._ Hm. “Ask,” Penny replied calmly, hoping for the best.

“Would it be really weird if I asked to poke your hand?” Ruby said in a blur, her words blending together in her haste to get them out.

“...What?”

“Well, I’ve never been able to touch a Grimm before without it trying to kill me, and I’ve always wondered if the black part is as soft as it looks,” Ruby explained, turning her head away as she blushed.

Penny shrugged. “I don’t see why not,” she replied, gingerly holding out her left hand for Ruby.

“Thanks. I know you shouldn’t ask Faunus if you can pet them, because that’s racist and also really weird to do to people, but sometimes I can’t help thinking that they look super soft and I-” Ruby explained in a rush before cutting herself off to take a deep breath. She seemed to reconsider continuing her impromptu speech, and redirected her focus back to Penny’s hand.

Ruby cautiously extended her pointer finger and inched it towards the bony plate that covered the back of Penny’s hand. Penny tried to stay as still as possible. _As wonderful as acceptance feels, I just wish I had someone to talk with. Someone who understood._

With these thoughts going through her mind, Penny didn’t notice when Ruby’s hand slipped in faster than she’d intended, scratching her palm on a bony spur. “Ow!” Ruby yelped, pulling back her hand to check on the wound. _Fear, pain, regret._

“I’m sorry!” Penny cried, cringing backward and scrambling away from Ruby.

“It’s okay, Penny,” Ruby replied. _Calm, worry, pain, regret._ “I just got a little scratch. See? My aura is fixing it already.” 

Penny forced herself to look. The bone spur had left a short gash, starting near where the palm and pointer finger met and extending down towards Ruby’s wrist. While blood had fallen onto the pavement, the cut itself was fairly shallow, and just as Ruby said, her aura was indeed already pulling it together. Penny relaxed and finished willing her Grimm hand away. 

“I shouldn’t have tried to poke it so hard anyway,” Ruby continued sheepishly. “I got a little too carried away. I don’t want you thinking this is your fault, okay?”

“Okay.” Penny replied. She could believe Ruby, _no matter how good the blood smelled._ She shook her head to clear it, and then felt familiar presences coming towards them. She stood up quickly enough to startle Ruby. “The soldiers from before are here. I should go with them. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“Okay, Penny,” Ruby said, standing up as well. _Worry, love, acceptance, hope._ “No matter what, we’re going to be friends, okay?” Ruby flung open her arms for a hug, and Penny accepted, holding her friend more tightly than she had been able to with her Grimm appendages. “Text me when you get home,” Ruby said as they pulled back. “Or whenever, really. I like talking to you,” she added with a chuckle.

“I like it too.”

“Well, I’ve got a mission I need to get back to. I’ll see you around, Penny,” Ruby finished with a mock salute before vanishing in a flash of rose petals. Penny watched them as they fell, a single petal fluttering into the palm of her hand. She closed her fingers around the petal and held it tight to her chest.

_I’ll see you too, Friend Ruby._

\----------------------------------

“So how was your first experience riding a motorcycle?” Yang asked as she parked outside Junior’s bar. She turned back and saw Neptune sitting straight as a board. She chuckled. “Was it really that bad? I didn’t even go too fast.”

“Honestly, it wasn’t too bad,” Neptune replied calmly, taking off his borrowed helmet. “Better than my first time on a boat.”

“Oh? What happened?”

“I hated it.” They both laughed at that as they walked up to the large double doors at the front of the club.

“Guess who’s back!” Yang shouted after slamming the doors open. She was immediately swarmed by angry bouncers, but she had been expecting this.

“Stop! No fighting in my club.” A deep voice rang out from behind the crowd of bouncers. Junior stepped forward and squared up with Yang. “Why are you here, Blondie? I see you brought a friend this time.” Neptune glanced around nervously at the assembled guards.

“We’re here on a _social visit_ ,” Yang said, emphasizing Junior’s code phrase.

“Follow me,” he said as he gestured to the guards to return to their usual posts. Yang could see the Malachite twins out of the corner of her eye as they vanished back into the shadows. _Creepy bitches._ Neptune and Yang arrived at the bar, and Junior began to polish a drink glass as he gazed suspiciously at the two students. “What can I do for you? Besides what you asked me last time.”

Yang checked her peripherals for any eavesdroppers before speaking. “I want to know what Torchwick has been up to,” Yang said quietly.

“You’ll have to be more specific,” Junior scoffed. “The man seems to have his fingers in everything these days.” 

_Figured as much_ , Yang thought. _We already had proof that his operation had expanded thanks to our encounter with him and the White Fang, and now we have confirmation from this somewhat-reliable source._ “Anything unusual? We know about his new employer.”

“Really?” Junior answered. Yang couldn’t tell from Junior’s tone if he was genuinely surprised. “I don’t know much about that. Haven’t spoken to the guy in over a month.”

“Did he do anything odd during your last visit?”

“Yeah, obviously. He’s _Roman_. But he does owe me a few men now, considering how long they’ve been missing.” 

_Oh, now that was a juicy detail._ “He hired some of your boys and didn’t call you afterwards? Sounds more like a one-night stand than anything fishy, Junior.” Yang replied, casually inspecting her nails. _Downplaying the information sometimes means you can goad them into giving you more._

“You’re not getting anything else out of me, Blondie,” Junior snarled. “I’ve been in the game longer than you. I know the easy tricks.” _Shit. Well, it was worth a shot._ “Now either settle your tab, order something else, or get the hell out of my bar.”

Yang dropped a few Lien cards onto the table, slightly overpaying for the information. Weiss had insisted upon paying the damages for Yang’s last visit when Yang had brought up the idea of visiting the broker. Yang had given her a low estimate. _Can’t have Junior thinking I’m soft._ She ordered her usual and turned to Neptune, who was busy enjoying the view of the dance floor.

“Sorry. Couldn’t figure out a way to sneak you into the conversation,” Yang apologized as she received her drink. She hadn’t meant to forget the boy’s presence.

“No, it’s fine,” Neptune said, waving away the apology. “You looked like you knew what you were doing. I really just came along in case you needed backup. Plus, seeing the club sounded fun.”

Yang elbowed him playfully. “Checking out date locations in Vale?” she asked.

Neptune laughed, feigning injury with one hand on his ribs. “Yeah, a little. Can’t have the only time we spend having fun here be the tournament and the dance. Speaking of which” - _I do not like that look in his eyes, he looks like Ruby does when she thinks she’s tricked me -_ “I saw you cuddling up to Blake when we came in yesterday. Anything going on between you two?”

Yang accidentally inhaled some of her drink, coughing as Neptune looked at her with concern. She eventually managed: “What? No. We’re just partners. And she had just been telling us about her life before Beacon.”

“And I’m guessing it wasn’t good?”

Yang shook her head, fists clenching. “No, it wasn’t.”

“Was she hurt by someone?”

“One guy in particular.”

“Then she probably trusts you a lot to seek physical comfort from you like that. She didn’t let go until after we left?”

“No...”

“Hmm. Just think about what I said, alright? I don’t want to tell you how to feel, but I saw something there.”

Yang didn’t respond. Neptune, the music, even her mission had all faded to the background. All she could think of were Blake’s amber eyes gazing back at her.

\----------------------------------

“This is the place.” Blake pointed it out to Sun as they sat atop a rooftop overlooking the warehouse the meeting would be held in.

Sun rolled his eyes. “Really? I couldn’t tell from all the White Fang guards.” Blake lightly punched his upper arm. “Ow!”

“Let’s just get down there and into the meeting,” Blake said with a smile. In all honesty, her bravado was just masking her fear. She only hoped she wouldn’t be recognized by the grunts at the door.

Luckily for her, the grunts were new recruits. With a shiny new Fang mask on, Blake looked no different from any of the other Faunus milling about in front of a large stage with the backstage shrouded in curtains.

“Thank you all for coming.” A booming voice echoed throughout the warehouse. Blake looked towards the source and gasped. It was Gray, Adam’s lieutenant.

“What’s wrong?” Sun whispered, gripping her sleeve in concern.

“I recognize the man on stage. Don’t cause a scene. I can’t let them notice me,” Blake hissed back. Sun nodded.

Gray started his speech by introducing Roman Torchwick, singing the conman’s praises like some glorified hype-man. _They’re openly admitting their affiliation with Roman now. They’re either desperate or confident. Neither are good._

“Good evening, gentle creatures!” Roman said loudly, garnering boos and cries of outrage from the crowd. “Oh, settle down! There’s a reason I was invited to speak here, you know,” he continued, which seemed to quiet the crowd. _For now_.

“You may be wondering why I, a human, am standing upon the stage at a Fang rally. The answer is that the Fang and I are in business together! You supply the people, and I _acquire_ the supplies. Does it matter if we hate each other? No! Because we have a common enemy: the Kingdoms. They’re the reason the world is the way it is, and all I’m doing is giving you fine people the tools to fight back.” Roman snapped his fingers and the curtains behind him dropped, revealing a large Atlesian mech decked out in the White Fang colors.

Roman continued, “If you’ve been watching the news at all, you’ll know this is Atlas’s newest military hardware. Thanks to some _misplaced packages,_ I was able to snag a few before they hit the shelves! Most of them are down at our new little _storefront_ in the southeast, but I thought bringing a free sample would get you eager for more. If you’d like to continue with the way things are, I won’t begrudge you that. But if you’re ready to fight for your ideals, then I’m the man who can get you what you need. Any questions?”

Blake and Sun looked on in horror as the crowd cheered. “We have to get out of here!” Blake hissed at Sun through clenched teeth. But it was too late to sneak out quietly. The grunts out front had already started pushing the crowd forward towards the stage. Those who tried to leave were getting harassed on their way out. Blake couldn’t take the chance that someone would recognize her.

“What do we do, Blake?” Sun asked as they moved closer to the stage. Blake looked around desperately for an escape route before noticing a fuse box halfway up the warehouse wall.

“Cause a scene,” Blake answered calmly. She took out her pistol and fired at the fuse box, plunging the warehouse into darkness. The lights turning off and the sound of gunfire had the desired effect of sending the crowd into a panic despite their night vision. As the crowd pushed its way through the warehouse doors, Blake and Sun lost their Fang masks in the shuffle. They nevertheless made it out unscathed and settled in the alleyway across from the warehouse as they caught their breath, having held it unconsciously for the past few minutes.

“That went well,” Sun said. Moments after he spoke, the sound of tearing metal filled the air. The pair looked up to see the Atlesian mech wrenching the front of the warehouse open. It quickly scanned the remnants of the crowd before settling on the two students. 

Sun slapped a hand over his eyes and groaned. “Me and my big mouth.”

\----------------------------------

Roman had been pleased with his performance up until the power went out. “There’s always a critic,” he mumbled under his breath, moving to the nearest available cover: the Atlesian mech. He popped the cockpit open and climbed into the pilot’s seat, taking a second to glance over his shoulder at Neo in the copilot’s chair. She had decided to stay in the mech during the whole rally and had been filing her nails when the door opened. She shot him a quizzical look as he began to flick through the mech’s warmup procedures.

“We’ve got party crashers, Neo,” Roman said in response, turning on the mech’s sensor suite before anything else. “Now to find them.” He swept through the crowd with a metal detector before identifying that two of the fleeing “recruits” were armed with huntsman-style weapons. He turned on the comms, and opened a line to Cinder. “Hey, Matchstick, there’s trouble at the rally. Two hunters showed up. Should I get ‘em?”

“Eliminate any potential threats, Roman. The price should you fail will be considerable.” Roman turned the radio back off at her cryptic response. Neo tapped his shoulder and gave him a thumbs up, having finished all of the copilot procedures while he talked. Roman switched on the main power and lifted the mech off its haunches.

_Time for some fun._

\----------------------------------

While the fight had been enjoyable, Roman could _not_ believe his horrible luck. All of his little problem children had decided to show up in waves. As soon as he got some of ‘em cornered, _more_ showed up out of nowhere.

He wasn’t surprised the initial pair had been Kitty Cat and Beefcake. Blondie and Little Boy Blue bursting in on a motorcycle had been the first red flag. By the time Red and White had shown up, shouting cute little combo attack catchphrases like they were in a Saturday morning cartoon, Roman was ready to throw in the towel.

He was worried about what Matchstick had said over the radio. He had lost a mech, caused a highly visible scene - _which was not entirely my fault, how was I supposed to know kids on the run would go towards a crowded freeway? -_ and failed in his recruitment drive. Despite the snide comments he’d fired off at the kids in battle, he felt anything but self-assured as he and Neo beat a hasty retreat to their enraged employer.

There were prices to pay.

\----------------------------------

All told, Blake was quite pleased with how the night had gone. Obviously the gigantic fight with an Atlesian mech down several city blocks and a freeway wasn’t ideal, but it seemed that all of the team had gotten at least some information. Weiss had the largest volume, which they would have to sort through later, while Ruby had apparently left early on to take care of Penny. _Not sure what to think about Ruby ditching Weiss, but it looks like they’re okay._ _Ruby did seem to be running low on Aura during the fight, though. I wonder what she and Penny got up to?_

Yang said she had gotten some information out of her contact: Torchwick had a new patron and was expanding his business quickly, hiring a lot of new people only for them to disappear. The information from the rally was perhaps the most helpful: there was a White Fang hideout to the southeast.

“Oh, I can’t wait until we get to pick our first missions!” Ruby jumped in excitement. “We can get permission to go looking for the bad guys!”

“‘In the southeast’ is kinda vague, Ruby,” Yang said. “I think we need to narrow it down first.”

“You’re right.” Ruby slumped over dejectedly.

“And we still have to sift through the reports I acquired,” Weiss added.

“Ugh!” Ruby threw her head back in frustration. “So much stuff to do!”

“Sometimes you gotta do paperwork before fighting the bad guys, Ruby,” Yang said, putting a hand on Ruby’s shoulder.

“As if _you_ are going to help with reading those dense reports,” Blake said mockingly, leaning on Yang to continue teasing her.

Yang pulled away from Blake suddenly, blushing slightly before sputtering, “Yeah, I guess I don’t read great.” 

Blake was surprised at Yang’s odd retreat from her. _That’s weird, is she sick?_ “Hey, are you okay, Yang?” Blake put a hand to Yang’s forehead. She felt warm, but not any warmer than she had last night.

“I’m fine!” Yang yelped, backing away slightly. “Wait,” she said, changing the subject. “Where did the boys go?” Team RWBY looked around for their two friends.

“Didn’t they get hit by the mech’s hands a while ago?” Ruby asked, scratching her chin thoughtfully. At that moment, Blake’s scroll began to ring and she answered when she saw the caller ID.

“Hey, Blake! How’s the fight going?” Sun asked through a mouthful of noodles.

“Sun, where are you?” Blake asked as team RWBY huddled around the scroll.

“We landed in front of a noodle shop! What’s it called, Nep?”

“‘A Simple Wok Noodle House.’ Our auras broke and it took us until a minute or so ago to stand back up.” Neptune shrugged as he dipped an egg roll into his soup. “Then we smelled the food, and uh, kinda forgot about you guys?” He finished sheepishly, looking away from the camera.

“Sun and Neptune, how could you-” Weiss began in a chiding tone before a large growl came from her stomach.

Ruby laughed and slung an arm over Weiss’s shoulder. “What’s the address, Neptune? Sounds like we all could use a bite to eat.”

“7th and Main. See you guys soon.” Neptune signed off with a smile.

“So, even the great heiress Weiss Schnee gets the tummy grumblies.” Yang prodded Weiss in the side.

“I do not get the ‘tummy grumblies,’ whatever they are,” Weiss huffed, sticking her nose up at the thought. Blake and Ruby laughed as Weiss and Yang got into an argument that lasted all the way until the noodle shop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by volchitsa_of_winterfell
> 
> Finally got to write Penny POV! I didn't want to do it until the reveal happened because I figured it would have given it away.
> 
> Hopefully Neo and Torchwick turn out fine.
> 
> Also, I think that Neptune guy is onto something.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby is starting to feel ill as the Vytal festival approaches.
> 
> Weiss is annoyed with Jaune, and needs to take her own advice.
> 
> Yang tells Blake about her past, and asks a very important question.

“And that’s the match,” Professor Goodwitch said as she helped up Cardin.

Ruby felt _awful._ It was Tuesday: normally her favorite day of the week at Beacon because it meant combat class, where she got to watch other students fight and she could study their moves and their weapons. Their matches were more important now than ever, as students from other schools were already beginning to trickle in for the Vytal tournament.

But she had come down with something in the last several days. She had a fever; she was unable to think clearly, she felt sluggish, and her head was pounding. Her dreams at night had gotten _real_ weird, and when she woke up she didn’t feel very rested.

She had briefly worried that it might be Grimm poisoning, as she had many of the symptoms. But she didn’t have any infected wounds or black veins. Those were the telltale indicators of the illness, and her skin was blemish-free. _Even the place Penny scratched me is smooth and clean._

She’d chalked it up to just having a bad cold and stopped worrying about it. But _maaaaan_ , she just hoped she would get over it soon. Her team was starting to worry about her at this point, and she _hated_ being mothered, particularly by Yang.

“And Pyrrha Nikos is the victor of the match...again,” Professor Goodwtich said with a sigh.

Ruby blinked herself from her stupor. She had missed her friend’s fight? Judging from the reactions of those around her, it didn’t seem like it was very enjoyable, so she shrugged and continued to nurse her coffee.

_It’s going to be a long week._

\----------------------------------

Blake was worried about Ruby. The team leader had lost all her energy in the last several days, trudging her way through classes so slowly that even _Weiss_ was starting to look concerned at the lack of Ruby’s antics. Blake knew Ruby hated being smothered, however, so she decided that if the girl wanted something, she’d ask for it.

In any case, Blake had her own concerns.

Team RWBY stepped outside of the training arena and Blake spotted Sun leaning up against the wall.

“Hey guys!” he said cheerfully, walking over to the group, who all said various greetings in return. “Are you all going to the dance?” he asked, looking between them all.

“Ruby and I are,” Yang replied.

“I’m organizing it, so of course I’m going,” Weiss answered. 

They all looked at Blake. “I’d rather not,” Blake said, feeling her ears flatten inside her ribbon. “I want to look over the files Weiss got for us some more.”

“You could use some rest, Blake,” Weiss said gently, looking at her with concern. “I know you’ve been taking short breaks, but you’ve been obsessing over those reports for _days_ now.”

“Who would you go with, Blake?” Ruby yawned, leaning against her sister for support.

Blake flushed. She hadn’t spent much time thinking about romance since her relationship with Adam ended, but the anxious eyes she was receiving from Yang made her feel light-headed.

“I-” Blake started to reply before she was rescued by Jaune, who was walking towards the group with an unusual sense of purpose.

“Pardon me for interrupting, but could I speak to Weiss?” he asked, holding out his hand in a mock courtly manner.

Weiss sighed. “I’d rather not, but if you insist.” The two left the group and walked towards the nearby gardens. The topic of the conversation gradually shifted away from Blake and she relaxed.

\----------------------------------

Weiss was quite _done_ with Jaune Arc at this point. The boy had been bothering her for days, trying to ask Weiss something before either getting nervous or being pulled away by something. Weiss knew she was attractive, and knew the effect that had on most men and some women. It nevertheless surprised her that some people took the mere fact of her attractiveness as an invitation to intrude upon her life.

“What do you want, Jaune?” she said once they had reached a private enough area. She tapped her foot expectantly as Jaune was thrown off of whatever rhythm he'd gotten himself into.

“Uh...”

“Is this about the dance?”

Jaune nodded dumbly. “Yeah. I was wondering if you’d like to go with me?”

Weiss sighed. She _hated_ having this conversation, but for the sake of Jaune and Pyrrha’s eventual happy marriage, she resigned herself to the task.

“Look. Objectively, you are a nice young man. You seem to have quite an amount of patience and perseverance. I’m honestly impressed at the progress you’ve made while at Beacon. However.” Weiss took a deep breath. “When a girl says no, _she means no_. I don’t know what net sites you are visiting, but I am _not_ playing hard to get. I’m not interested in dating you at all, or going with you to the dance as your date.”

She softened her stance ever so slightly before continuing. “Supervising the dance will take up much of my evening anyway, so I doubt I would be good company. You would have noticed my stance on this if you had been paying attention at our joint mealtimes instead of continuing to perceive me as you see me, not as I am.

“I hesitate to say this, Jaune, but you need to stop thinking so much. There are no correct words to say or correct formulas to use when talking to people. You just need to practice.” Weiss paused for a moment, contemplating how subtly to go forward with the next part of her impromptu speech before deciding that a more aggressive hint was in order. “In fact, I think someone who would appreciate conversation practice is Pyrrha.”

Jaune’s slouch that had been steadily deepening through her monologue perked up slightly. “Huh? Pyrrha? But she’s so good at everything already.”

 _It appears I have my work cut out for me._ “It may appear that way, but Pyrrha has spent much of her life keeping people at arm’s length because of her fame. She needs someone who can talk to her plainly and honestly.”

“Like Ruby for you?” Jaune asked. 

_Damn this man! How is his intuition this accurate for me yet he can’t see Pyrrha’s interest?_ “Yes,” she conceded, fighting back a blush. “I’ll admit she’s been a great help.”

Jaune scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Huh. I think I’ll go talk to Pyrrha then. And I’m sorry about all this,” he said softly. “You’re right about me.”

“It’s fine,” she said. “Just don’t do it to anyone else. Being put on a pedestal is exhausting for everyone.”

Jaune nodded and walked away.

Weiss was left alone with her thoughts. _In addition, I won’t date you because I’m gay,_ she thought smugly, before turning her attention to her own romantic failures.

She would be foolish not to notice the time Ruby was spending talking with Penny over scroll. It wasn’t impacting class time, studying, or even team activities, but it seemed that every spare second Ruby had outside of those things was spent talking to the new girl. Weiss knew that Ruby was slipping away from her somehow, but she didn’t quite know how to regain her attention.

_Perhaps I could bring her with me to work on the dance._

\----------------------------------

Neo was, without a doubt, _bored._ After their failed murder of the two Faunus, Cinder had split her and Roman apart as a punishment. Roman had been sent to complete his job in Mountain Glenn early, and Neo was forced to take the place of a White Fang operative to be the fourth member of team CMNE.

To make matters worse, she wasn’t allowed to roam around the halls looking for students to mess with. The others got to leave as Cinder pleased, but Neo alone was stuck watching the room whenever they went out.

She had mitigated the boredom with her backlog of television shows and a large supply of stolen gummy bears. But by the end of the third day, the bears were gone and she had run out of shows she wanted to watch.

Tonight, all of team CMNE was in attendance, but Neo wasn’t allowed in their team huddles on the opposite side of the room as they talked about “the black queen” or mentioned other agents they had around the kingdom. _If Cinder and company are so well-connected, why have they taken so long to do anything?_

Trying to block out the animated whispers of the other three occupants, she was revisiting a black and white gangster movie Roman had made her sit through as “training” years ago. But even criminals need a snack break. She paused her movie to reach for some potato chips when her ears suddenly perked up at the mention of Red’s name.

“Cinder, you didn’t see her. Ruby looked like she had the symptoms.” Emerald’s tone always approached begging when she talked with Cinder, and Neo found it revolting.

“Probably just an average flu,” Mercury replied, cleaning out the barrels of his left leg.

“Whatever the cause may be, we must be vigilant. We know she has had contact with the Lost one, so it’s possible she has been infected,” Cinder replied, gazing intensely into a fireball she rolled around in her hands.

“Won’t that affect the plan?” Emerald asked.

“If she survives it,” Mercury added. “Most people haven’t.”

“Most of our test subjects were not huntresses. But in any case, should she perish, we have backup plans for the incident to occur. Need I remind you of your role in them, children?” Cinder snapped the fireball out of existence, staring at the two teenagers before her.

“No,” the two answered simultaneously.

“Excellent. Remember your place in all of this. Even I am not aware of the full extent of _her_ plans. We do as she commands.” 

Now _that_ was some spicy intel. _Cinder has a boss? And it’s a woman?_ Neo began to think of how she could rib Roman about this. _Something about how he’s under two women? No, he’d enjoy that._

All thoughts of her movie and the criminal plot she just overheard vanished from her head as she opened up a text document on her scroll and began to brainstorm.

_I’m going to need more gummy bears for this._

\----------------------------------

Weiss’s Thursday was not going to plan. She had invited Ruby to help her with the tablecloths, figuring the speedster would jump at the chance for ‘team bonding.’

 _But of course Yang came along with her sister. I shouldn’t be surprised that the universe is trying to spite me._ Weiss spared a glance at her exhausted-looking partner. _And I had hoped including Ruby in all of this would cheer her up_ , _but she looks even worse today._

Yang walked into the room carrying a heavy speaker towards their table on the stage. She set it down with a loud thud that nevertheless barely jostled Ruby from her stupor.

“Huh? Wazzat?” Ruby said hazily before laying her head back on the table. “I think you should pick the white one, Weiss.”

“Ruby, they’re both white,” Yang said, looking at her sister with concern.

“They are not! One is eggshell, and the other-” Weiss’s indignant response was cut short by a look from Yang. _Right._ “Ruby, I’m sorry for asking you to do this, but-”

“No! I love to help!” Ruby interjected, barely meeting the others’ gazes.

“Ruby, you’ve been asleep for the last ten minutes.” Yang had her hands on her hips now, glaring down at her sister. “You need to go to bed.”

“I don’t wanna go to bed! I wanna help!”

“Ruby, the extra cookies I hid from you are in my third dresser drawer.” As soon as Yang’s sentence was finished, Ruby had stood up and zoomed out of the room, leaving behind her usual rosey wake. “It’s both good and bad that her semblance works when she’s tired.”

“Why do you keep extra cookies in your dresser?”

Yang laughed. “Oh, I don’t. I ate those two days ago. It was just an excuse to get her back to the room. She’ll fall asleep before she can get mad at me for tricking her.”

“You two have a very _unique_ relationship,” Weiss noted, deciding on the eggshell coloring.

“Yeah, well, our family is full of unique people. But speaking of a unique relationship, when are you going to ask Ruby to the dance?”

Weiss spluttered, turning to Yang with a blush on her face. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that I have eyes, Ice Queen. I know you’ve been looking at my sister for a while now.” Yang smirked, crossing her arms and waiting expectantly. “Well?”

“If I were interested in Ruby-”

“Pretty small ‘if’ there,” Yang interrupted.

“If I _were_ , it wouldn’t matter, as I’m sure she’s already been asked by someone else.” Weiss was not certain of her chances. She and Ruby had a strong but tumultuous friendship. Taking its rocky start into account, Weiss was unsure where she stood with her team leader. From Yang’s comments, it sounded like she didn’t have to worry about Ruby being opposed to dating a girl, but it still seemed so _risky._

“You don’t know that. You won’t know that until you ask,” Yang said soothingly.

“You should follow your own advice,” Weiss snapped back, but not without some mirth. “Are you going to ask _your_ partner to the dance?”

Now it was Yang’s turn to be flustered. “Yeah, actually,” she replied, scratching the back of her head. “I was going to do it later today. Just take a chance, okay? It could be great.” Yang left to go grab more speakers, and Weiss was left alone with her thoughts.

_Or it could ruin the friendship we have._

\----------------------------------

Blake looked out the library window and groaned. _Another day gone by, and I’m not any closer to figuring out where the White Fang are hiding._ She stretched, popping out the tension in her back, and yawned. _Well, time to go have dinner-_

Her thoughts were cut off by the sight of a small red dot wavering in front of her. A small part of her screamed to chase after it, but she had learned to ignore those instincts long ago. Instead, she looked around and saw Yang standing behind a bookshelf with a disappointed look on her face.

Blake sighed. “Yang, that’s not going to work. Maybe it would work on a little kid, but not me.”

Yang shrugged as she walked over to the table. “You like tuna a lot, so I thought I’d give it a try.”

“That’s because tuna is delicious,” Blake responded, gathering up the reports she had been reading.

“Here, let me help.” Yang rolled up Blake’s map and handed it back to her once it was in its container. “You figure anything out?”

“No. I can’t find where they are. It should be easy to find a camp of the size they implied, but-”

“Blake, if the professionals don’t know what’s going on, how are we supposed to?”

Blake sighed. “I guess you’re right. I just can’t sit back and wait for things to happen anymore.”

“I understand the feeling.” 

Blake blinked and looked at her partner, who had a faraway look on her face. “How?” she asked. She’d never seen Yang so pensive.

Yang took a deep breath and exhaled before looking back. “Story time for me, huh?” She sat down at the chair across from Blake’s and waited for Blake to get comfortable before continuing. 

“So Ruby and I grew up on the island of Patch, which is off the coast of Vale. Our entire family is made up of huntsmen. Our dad, our uncle, and our mom were actually all on the same team here at Beacon. Our mom was Summer Rose, and she was, like, super-mom.

“She would go on these missions, sometimes for weeks, but would always come back with epic stories and souvenirs. She baked the best cookies and always had a smile on her face. But one day she never came back. Ruby was a little too young to understand what was happening, but I know she felt the loss the same as the rest of us. Our dad just kind of shut down.

“It turns out our mom wasn’t the first person he had lost. My birth mother has that honor. She had me and just left. Even her own brother, our Uncle Qrow, says he doesn’t know where she is.”

“Why did she leave?” Blake asked.

“That’s the question that’s haunted me for years. One day when I was little, while rummaging around in the attic I found a picture of an old house. It was a team photo of the four of them: my parents, my birth mother, and our uncle. I recognized it as one of the ‘haunted houses’ on Patch. When Dad went to work the next day, I took Ruby in a little red wagon and went to the house. By the time we got there, Ruby was asleep and I was exhausted. Then the Grimm showed up. My uncle found us in the nick of time, but my dumb idea almost got us killed.”

“That’s awful. But I know what you’re trying to say, that I shouldn’t let this get the best of me. But I’m not a child and this isn’t just a search for answers!” Blake said, her voice rising in volume. She was beginning to get angry. _How dare Yang compare me to a child. I’ve had enough infantilization for a lifetime._

“That’s not where I was going at all, actually. But that is a fair point.” Yang said placatingly.

“What?” Blake asked.

“Once we got back, my dad sat me down since it was clearly my idea. He asked me why I went out there, and I told him it was to look for my mom. I showed him the picture, and he got this look on his face. I said that no one would tell us anything, so we went to check for ourselves. And you know what he said?” Yang paused for effect, but Blake had no response for her. 

“He told us: ‘All you had to do was ask. I’m sorry for shutting down like this. We’re all hurting right now, and I should have been there for you. I’m not going to be able to tell you everything you want to know. Partly because it hurts to remember sometimes and partly because I don’t have all the answers. But we’ll do this together now.’”

Yang looked directly into Blake’s eyes, and Blake could feel the comfort radiating from her. “My point wasn’t that it was childish to look for answers, or try to fix something. My point was that it's wrong to do that _alone._ Yes, Ruby and I were frustrated, but we also didn’t ask for help. And we’re a _team_ now, Blake. We need to be there for each other.

“You’ve been doing a good job of keeping this to your private time, and you’ve even been getting enough sleep. That’s better than Ruby playing most video games! But let us help. And enjoy yourself a little! We only get to be kids once.”

“Okay, _now_ I can tell what you’re doing.” Blake crossed her arms in mock disapproval.

“Oh. Really?” Yang said sheepishly.

Blake laughed for the first time that day. “You’re not that subtle. You want me to go to the dance to take my mind off everything.”

Yang mumbled out: “Well, here goes nothing.” But before Blake could ask what she meant, Yang asked her a question in perhaps the most calm manner she had ever heard from the blonde: “Would you come to the dance _with me_?”

Blake was shocked. Internally she was reeling from the question, but her heart answered for her. “Yes.”

\----------------------------------

Ruby was starting to feel a little better. _Yang and Weiss were right, naps_ are _great._

She was still a little mad at Yang for tricking her with cookies, but it had given her time to catch up on some television shows she had been putting off. Partway through a season finale, her scroll buzzed. She paused her show and saw that it was a text from Penny.

“How are you this fine evening, Friend Ruby?” it said.

Ruby giggled and texted back: “Feeling better. I’ve been a little sick recently, but spending this afternoon in bed has been great.”

“Oh! I’m sorry to hear that!” Penny typed for a moment and then added: “Being sick, I mean. I am glad to hear that you feel better.”

“I figured it out, no worries. Feeling a bit lonely, though.”

“I could video chat with you. I’m done with my duties for the day.”

“That would be awesome! Lemme just get ready,” Ruby sent back, and moved her tired body as quickly as she could, creating a little pillow throne for her to lean against. She blushed, realizing that she was in her pajamas, before rationalizing that it was fine. _We’re both girls, it’s not_ that _weird. But if it_ was _weird, that would be okay, I think._

She typed out “Ready!” and waited for the call icon to appear. It did and she answered.

Penny was sitting at a desk in a dorm room much like Ruby’s own. But instead of being a slipshod mess with brown colors, it was regimented and made of steel and white in the Atlesian style. 

“Salutations, Friend Ruby!” Penny called, waving a hand at the screen.

“Good evening, Penny. How was your day?” Ruby asked.

“Getting better now that I’m seeing you, friend.” Ruby blushed at Penny’s compliment, her body growing warm as Penny continued. “I had schoolwork to complete earlier, but that’s all finished now. I just had a meeting with Aunt Winter where we talked about plans for the rest of this week.”

“Your aunt’s here?” The heat inside of Ruby continued to build slowly like a pressure cooker.

“She came with the rest of the Atlas personnel for the Vytal festival. She’s also the one directly supervising my team.”

Ruby half followed along the conversation, growing more distant as time went on. _I feel so faint. Why does everything smell weird?_

“Ruby, are you feeling okay?” Penny asked, tilting her head. “You look paler than at the beginning of our call.”

Ruby barely registered the question, the heat burning through her mind, eliminating all thoughts besides the increasing pain she was feeling in every part of her body. She looked down at her scroll and saw black veins pulsing on her hand. _The one Penny scratched. But why now?_

The veins suddenly raced up her arm towards her face, and she dropped her scroll with a scream as she began to choke, black vapor billowing out from her mouth. The last thing she saw before falling into the darkness was a flash of silver light.

The last thing she knew was Penny screaming her name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by volchitsa_of_winterfell
> 
> Weiss’s rejection of Jaune was extremely gratifying to write. Even when the episodes were originally airing, I found that subplot tedious. Funny, but altogether unnecessary. Instead of having two separate scenes, I just had the one.
> 
> My editor is annoyed that I am making Neo too relatable.
> 
> I found it a bit odd, going over these two episodes, that the flashback with Yang and Ruby ends after they are saved. It’s more in line with Yang’s point about foolishly pursuing a goal, but it’s not the whole picture. What was Qrow’s response? What was Tai’s response?  
> Here Yang has a different point to make, so I let Tai be a good dad.
> 
> Huh, that’s weird. Wonder what happened to Ruby?
> 
> Next chapter might take a minute. It’s the first time I’m writing without the framework of an existing episode, and I want to get the pacing right. But don’t you worry, we’ll be getting some answers and meeting Penny’s family soon!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Ruby's life hangs in the balance, her team are told dark secrets.
> 
> How will they react to the news, and to each other?

Penny loved talking to Ruby. Their text conversations were quickly becoming the highlight of her days. So when Ruby agreed to a late-night video chat, Penny was ecstatic.

The first thing she noticed was just how sick Ruby looked. Ruby had warned her of her illness, but Penny’s heart still wept at the condition her friend was in. She looked _haunted_.

She noticed that despite Ruby’s initial enthusiasm, the girl’s involvement in the conversation rapidly dropped off as she got an odd faraway look in her eyes.

Her heart stopped when Ruby screamed, black smoke pouring out of her mouth as the scroll was dropped and Penny could no longer see her.

“Ruby? Ruby!” Penny screamed back. But her friend didn’t respond. The only movement she could see through the camera were flashes of silver light.

“Is something the matter, Miss Polendina? I heard the yelling,” Penny’s partner Ciel asked as she pushed open Penny’s door.

“Ruby’s hurt. Something’s happened to her,” was all Penny could get out, staring in horror at the screen as she heard faint choking sounds through the speakers.

“Ruby Rose?” Ciel asked, panic seeping into her usually-calm voice. When Penny nodded, Ciel nodded back sharply before raising her wrist communicator to her lips. “This is Agent Soleil paging Specialist Schnee. Prep a medevac with knights for myself and Miss Polendina. The S.E.W. is incapacitated at Beacon. Unknown cause.”

Penny was led out of the room by Ciel as orders got relayed between various levels of command over the comms. She focused on the comfort she could feel from her partner. _Not the fear._

\----------------------------------

 _This would be fascinating were it not so dire,_ Winter thought as knights pulled the unconscious Ruby Rose onto a gurney. _We had yet to see anybody react to Penny’s Grimm presence._ Ruby’s body was strapped down as she thrashed in her unconscious state. Her eyes had been covered, but silver light sporadically leaked from behind the bandages.

 _Can’t reveal_ that _to the public, especially considering other students here know Ruby’s semblance and wouldn’t accept that cover story. Luckily for us, she_ does _appear to have been infected with Grimm Poisoning._

“Condition, Agent Soleil?” Winter asked as Agent Soleil studied Ruby’s prone body.

“Ten minutes to cardiac arrest if she is not made stable, ma’am. In addition, it has been seven minutes since the onset of the episode and five days since exposure,” Agent Soleil said promptly, the blue glow of her pocket watch fading as she snapped it shut. “We should get her evacuated ASAP. It will take five minutes and twenty-three seconds of air travel to get back to the ship at current windage.”

Winter nodded. _Her semblance really is extraordinary._ “Then we shall make haste.”

Penny had not spoken since they had boarded the bullhead to Beacon. Once beside Ruby, she had only made small distressed noises to no one in particular. _Poor thing. Her therapist is going to earn her retainer this week for sure,_ Winter thought glumly as they hurried through the dorm’s halls before exiting out through the fire escape. 

Time was of the essence, after all. _And my glyphs are far quicker than any elevator. I must remind myself to pay for the damages,_ she thought as she blasted a hole through the railing to make room for the stretcher.

“Hey! Where are you taking my sister?!” a voice called out from behind them.

“Penny?” a second voice asked.

“Winter?” the final one said, one that made Winter pause.

“Hello, Weiss,” Winter said calmly as she turned to face the rest of Team RWBY. “I’m terribly sorry but we are pressed for time,” she added, spinning glyphs into position in the air. “Your leader’s life is in danger and she will be more successfully treated aboard the dreadnought than at Beacon’s infirmary.”

“Seven minutes, ma’am,” Ciel said, unable to keep the urgency from her voice.

“Please, Yang?” Penny asked, her voice cracking as tears fell from her eyes. “It’s my fault she got hurt, just-”

Penny was cut off by a snarl from Yang as she moved forward, her eyes red. Blake and Weiss laid a hand on each of the blonde’s arms to hold her back as she growled, “What do you mean?”

Penny turned back towards Winter, and the specialist was shaken by the pain in her eyes. _Both her own and others’,_ Winter thought with a sigh.

“Can we just tell them?” Penny asked.

“It is the course of action that will lead to the swiftest and safest departure for Miss Rose,” Ciel added after consulting her watch.

“Fine,” Winter snapped, before turning to the rest of Team RWBY. “Come along, but no questions until Miss Rose is stable.”

Team RWBY hastily agreed. Yang did not stop glaring at Penny the whole ride up.

\----------------------------------

Once Penny could breathe peacefully again, safe in the knowledge that Ruby was out of danger for the moment, she had to contend with the rest of Team RWBY. Yang’s anger had been a steady drain on her already frayed mental defenses, and the concern coming off of Blake and Weiss had done little to calm her down.

“So, are you going to explain this or not?” Yang huffed. They were sitting outside of Ruby’s room. Ruby had been stabilized by a doctor who got a cover story for her injuries. The only other doctor who would be allowed to see her, and the only one that knew the entire situation, would be Penny’s father when he arrived. _Father will know what to do._

Blake was sitting next to Yang on a small couch, with Weiss in a nearby armchair. Unconsciously, Aunt Winter, Penny, and Ciel had all chosen to remain on the opposite side of the waiting room. Aunt Winter sat, while Ciel stood at attention at her shoulder. Penny had tried to get comfortable in a chair but the effort had proved futile. She opted instead for pacing.

“And Penny, who are these two?” Blake asked softly.

“That’s my sister Winter,” Weiss said with a snap, sending Aunt Winter a harsh glance. _Betrayal, love, concern, need._

“And I am Miss Polendina’s partner. Agent Ciel Soleil at your service,” Ciel responded, snapping a salute.

“Penny, how are you this highly connected to the Atlas military?” Blake asked, glancing between the three people on the other side of the room.

“Penny herself is a military secret,” Aunt Winter responded, tapping her fingers on the chair’s arm. “One that we have determined is safe to share with the rest of you.”

Weiss and Blake looked at the specialist intently.

“Well?” Yang said, her glare finally shifting from Penny to the older Schnee.

“Penny has requested to be the one who informs you all,” Aunt Winter said plainly, looking at Penny. _Affection, concern, support, trust._

Penny took a steadying breath and gazed into the eyes of Ruby’s teammates in turn. “I’m a Grimm.”

Silence and shocked looks met the proclamation.

“How?” Blake was the first to respond. 

Penny willed away her human hand, just as she had done with Ruby. Her long claws clicked against each other as she displayed the black limb to the room.

“My gods,” Weiss whispered under her breath.

“On the way up here, you told us it was Grimm poisoning,” Yang said, emotion rising in her voice as she pieced together a puzzle Penny desperately wished she wouldn’t. “So it wasn’t ‘your fault’ my sister got hurt. _You_ hurt her.” Yang stood up despite the protests of her nearby teammates and began advancing on Penny. “How dare you. All she wanted was to be your friend, and _this_ is how you repay her?” She turned to glare at Ciel and Winter, who were readying to defend themselves. “And you two! How does Atlas sign off on keeping a monster like this around?”

“No, I didn’t mean to-” Penny was having a hard time putting together words as the emotions in the room washed over her. Yang’s anger alone threatened to drown out the rest.

“Oh, you didn’t _mean to_?!” Yang screamed, now feet away from Penny. “You hospitalized her and-”

“Yang, calm down, you’re scaring Blake,” Weiss said from her chair, seemingly calm in the face of Yang’s anger. Penny knew that wasn’t the case. The scent of fear was unmistakable.

Yang turned to see Blake white as a sheet, shivering with fear. Penny was inundated with fresh waves of despair and felt herself slip under.

\----------------------------------

Yang couldn’t believe today was happening. First, she got a date with Blake to the dance. _Then_ they return to the dorm to check in on Ruby before dinner, only to find Ruby on a stretcher with Penny, a tan girl and a pale woman Weiss recognized leading her out through a fire escape.

 _Then_ she learned the girl that Ruby most definitely had a crush on (her sisterly instincts were never wrong) was secretly a Grimm and that’s why Ruby was hospitalized. And now this.

Blake looked at Yang with naked fear, her skin pale and her hands shivering. Yang could see claw marks in the sofa’s cushions. She took a step towards Blake, only to see her tighten up in response. _Oh no,_ Yang realized. _I’m like_ him.

Yang stopped moving towards Blake and took a deep breath, frantically wishing her eyes would return to a lilac hue.

Unfortunately for her, the ordeal of the night was not yet over as she heard a sickening crunch behind her. She slowly turned to see Penny hunched over in pain as black tendrils burst from her back, her remaining human hand’s skin slowly shredding away to be replaced with bony plating and long claws.

Penny’s hands gripped at her head, her claws tearing off parts of her face, revealing a featureless bony mask underneath it all. _A Geist._

Suddenly, the Grimm wearing the remains of her sister’s friend was stuck between a series of glowing white glyphs. “Penny, I know you’re still in there,” Winter said calmly, activating the Dust on her sheathed weapon.

Underneath the harsh scraping sounds of the Grimm feebly clawing at its barriers, and the soothing words flowing from Winter, Yang could hear a faint voice whispering “I’m sorry” repeatedly. It was Penny’s but distorted and lower. _And clearly in pain._

“I need you all to take deep breaths and calm down,” Penny’s partner Ciel said matter-of-factly. “She won’t hurt anyone so long as you can do that. If you do, we should see her return in thirty seconds.”

Team RWBY glanced among themselves. They silently agreed to put their own issues on hold temporarily.

Ciel’s words were true, as much as Yang could tell. About thirty seconds later, the Grimm stopped struggling, going limp as its body began to dissipate. Claws receded back into hands, the shadowy cloak returned to bright ginger hair, and the bony mask fell to the floor with a clatter before evaporating.

Penny knelt before them, her clothes ripped and- Yang looked away in embarrassment as Winter knelt beside her and covered her with her jacket.

“I’m sorry,” Penny sobbed, tears falling down her cheeks. “I didn’t mean to hurt her.”

“What happened?” Yang asked, sinking into a chair away from both groups. She didn’t want to scare Blake any more than she already had.

Penny’s sobs turned to sniffles as she took a few deep breaths. “It was the day of your investigations. I saw Ruby and Weiss at the CCT, and ran away. Ruby followed. After a while, some soldiers spotted us and were going to bring me home for breaking curfew. Ruby used her semblance to outrun them, but we ended up in an alleyway. I transformed my hands on accident to stop a truck from running us over. I panicked and ran away _again_. Ruby found me and asked what was happening.” Penny stared down at her hands. “So I told her. And she accepted me. She was the first one.”

“We accept you,” Winter huffed. She sounded almost insulted.

“But you already knew what I was when we met. She was the first person I got to tell,” Penny said, her gaze solidly on the floor. “Anyway, she tried to touch my hands in their Grimm form, and scratched herself,” Penny finished.

Winter nodded sagely at this. “That’s the current situation,” the specialist said. “Miss Polendina here is a Grimm-Human hybrid with both an aura and Grimm abilities. She was created by persons unknown, and was found in a remote wood in Solitas by myself approximately eight years ago with no prior memories. Since then, her status has been a military secret known to a select few, such as the General, Miss Soleil here, and Penny’s adoptive father.” 

Winter stood from her crouched position, helping Penny up as she did so. “If you have further questions, I would ask that you wait until tomorrow to ask them. I think there has been quite enough excitement for one night, and Penny needs her rest. Good night.”

Penny, Winter and Ciel all walked out, leaving Team RWBY to stare at each other in stunned silence.

\----------------------------------

When Weiss came to visit the next day, a man she did not recognize was in Ruby’s room, adjusting equipment and looking at readouts.

He was older, perhaps in his mid-fifties, with dark skin and thinning white hair. He sat on a hoverchair as he moved about the room. He looked up and saw Weiss standing outside the glass.

“Be with you in a moment!” he called out with a smile, tidying up various files on a nearby tray before exiting the room. “Sorry for the wait. How can I help you, Weiss? Or do you prefer Miss Schnee?”

“Weiss is fine, Doctor-?” she paused, looking for a nametag.

“Polendina. Though you may call me Pietro if you like.” _That makes him Penny’s father._

“How is she?” Weiss asked.

Doctor Polendina took a deep breath before responding. “Stable, that much is for certain. But it seems her body was reacting particularly poorly to the unique Grimm energy that Penny possesses. Normally a Grimm poisoning would not progress this way.”

“Speaking of Penny, what type of Grimm is she?”

“We have theories. Our best guess based on her full Grimm form is that she was somehow combined with a Geist in her infancy.”

“What a disgusting experiment,” Weiss declared.

“Indeed. I thank the gods everyday that despite her ordeal, Penny has become quite a fine young woman. It is a pity that we cannot understand her better, but I have strictly forbidden more _exploratory_ research into her biology. She is just a child, after all.” 

Pietro looked up into Weiss’s eyes and placed a tentative hand on her shoulder. “Please take care of my daughter. She needs more friends in her life. People who know her beyond all this.” He hovered away, leaving Weiss alone with her thoughts.

\----------------------------------

She wasn’t alone for long. Penny walked into the room less than an hour later, but started to leave after spotting Weiss.

“Please stay,” Weiss said over her shoulder, her gaze not leaving Ruby’s form.

Penny walked up beside her and stood nervously.

“How are you feeling?” Weiss asked.

“I am well. I got a good night’s sleep, at least.”

“What happened to you last night?”

Penny laughed without mirth. “I’m a Grimm, Weiss. I felt too much negativity in the room and I lost control” - she sighed - “again.”

“You can feel emotions?” Weiss had always wondered exactly _how_ Grimm found humans in distress.

“Somewhat. The closest analogue I have is something akin to scent or hearing. Emotions emanate from people, and some are easier to feel than others.” Penny turned towards Weiss, and the heiress reciprocated, meeting the girl's gaze. Penny’s eyes were still bloodshot from crying. “I ran away from you both at the CCT tower because I felt your jealousy when I began talking to Ruby.”

Weiss froze.

“I understand that my abilities make people feel uneasy. I can leave if you want me to…?” Penny trailed off. 

Weiss shot out her hand and grabbed Penny’s wrist, holding her in place. “Just stay. I swear you’re worse than Ruby sometimes,” Weiss sighed. “Believing anything you do can only trouble those around you. Surely you can feel that people care about you?”

Penny nodded, gently pulling away from Weiss’s hand before awkwardly shuffling in place. “That is kind of why I froze up when we first met. I have felt emotions like that before, but it was overwhelming to be so close to them.”

Weiss thought back to meeting Penny, trying to recall the feelings she had had then. _Let's see. S_ _hock, impatience...arousal_.

Weiss flushed.

 _She froze up because I was AROUSED? Is she feeling_ this _right now?!_

“It’s okay,” Penny said, laying a hand on Weiss’s arm. _THIS IS NOT HELPING._ “You are human, it happens.” Penny giggled. “And this is certainly less awkward than with Aunt Winter.”

Weiss jumped at the opportunity to change subjects: “ _Aunt_ Winter?”

“Yes,” Penny said, blushing. “Is that wrong?”

“No, just...curious,” Weiss answered.

“She was the one who found me, and she stayed by me while the military decided what to do with me. Once I was settled with my father, I asked if I could call her ‘mother,’ but she refused. I could tell that she thought it would be nice, though.” Penny had a soft, fond smile on her face. “You humans are so _silly_ sometimes, hiding your emotions behind your words and faces.”

“It’s certainly frustrating. Part of the reason I left Atlas was that I could no longer stand the doublespeak that happened around me. Everyone concerned with the company would say one thing and pretend they meant something else later. I could not trust _anyone_. I guess in that way, I envy you. You know exactly how people feel about you.”

“It’s not always pleasant.”

“No, I imagine it isn’t,” Weiss agreed, thinking about how being near her parents with Penny’s abilities would feel. She shivered in fear. She shook off the unbidden dark thoughts and looked at Ruby once more. “Do you think she’ll be okay?”

“I hope so. I haven’t known Ruby for long, but I don’t know what I’d do without her now.”

Weiss turned to leave. _That’s the reason I can’t be friends with you, Penny. I feel the same._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by volchitsa_of_winterfell
> 
> So that was a thing that happened. We'll get a full description of Penny's Grimm form eventually, but the focus of the scene was more emotional than graphic.
> 
> Oooooooooh, who doesn't enjoy a little romantic competition? I don't, but hey, stories gotta story.
> 
> I figured giving Ciel a semblance related to time was a no-brainer, and considering her canon obsession with punctuality and schedules, I gave her one that would facilitate that.
> 
> Ciel’s semblance- Countdown.  
> She can ask a time-related question, either out loud or mentally, and know with some accuracy the answer.  
> For instance: “How long will it take us to get back to the ship?” “Five minutes twenty three seconds.”  
> “When did this happen?” “Five days ago”  
> She focuses this ability using her pocket watch, but can perform without it.  
> She can invest a small amount of aura to get a singular answer, or use a small stream of it to keep up a “live” readout  
> However, the further out her question asks, or the less specific the question, the less accurate her timer is--- kinda like your computer estimating how long a download will take  
> “When will my toast be ready?” will be much more accurate than “When will I die?” due to the “calculations” involved.  
> It’s powerful, but it’s not absolute, and is certainly more useful than “strong” per se.  
> We will see combat applications of the ability in the future, though.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Penny seeks help from Blake regarding her guilt towards Ruby.
> 
> Yang calls her Dad to get his advice.
> 
> Yang and Blake sit down and talk.
> 
> Ruby wakes up and Penny asks her a very important question.
> 
> The dance is almost upon us.

It was Saturday. There was less than a week until Blake’s first _real_ date, and she didn’t even know if she wanted to go anymore. Ruby being hurt was bad enough, but the revelation about Penny, and the subsequent outburst from Yang, had been too much.

Penny’s situation was _interesting_ , to say the least. Blake knew of Faunus legends surrounding were-creatures, but none of Penny’s abilities matched those in the slightest. The legends said their transformations were voluntary, and they could only turn into animals, not Grimm. They certainly couldn’t make others sick, either.

It sounded so insane that a Grimm could have an aura - a _soul_ \- but Blake had seen the living proof that was Penny. She couldn’t be anything else.

Blake shook her head. _Instead of chasing after stories, I should think about my current problem._

 _Yang_.

Blake sighed. She knew she had handled that night poorly. When Yang had lost her temper, suddenly all Blake could see was Adam’s jealous rage. She couldn’t quite put her finger on the cause of the switch.

“Blake, may I come in?” Penny asked from outside team RWBY’s dorm room.

“Sure, Penny,” Blake answered, sitting up on her bed.

Penny entered, looking rather embarrassed. “Salutations, Blake,” she said meekly.

“How can I help you?”

“I want to apologize to Ruby, to make up for hurting her.”

“It was an accident, Penny.”

This only seemed to further Penny’s slump. The girl lay back onto Weiss’s bed and stared at the ceiling. “I _know_ that. But I can’t stop feeling guilty.”

“I know what you mean,” Blake said solemnly. “Why don’t you take her out somewhere? You guys haven’t really hung out outside of missions.”

After a long minute of silence, Penny's eyes widened and she sat bolt upright, staring at Blake. “Blake, I have the most _sensational_ idea! I knew it was the correct choice to ask you.” She stood up and walked briskly to the door before pausing, her hand inches from the door handle.

“May I call you ‘Friend,’ Blake?” Penny asked, looking back over her shoulder. 

Blake looked deeply into her eyes. All she saw was gratitude and warmth. “I don’t see why not,” she responded, a slight smile on her lips.

“Thank you, Friend Blake. I hope your endeavors go well.” And with that, the strange girl left as suddenly as she’d arrived, and Blake flopped back onto her bed.

_I hope so too, Penny._

\----------------------------------

It was Saturday, and Yang hadn’t talked to Blake since Thursday. She’d kept her distance, not wanting to make her partner (friend?) ( _date?_ ) more uncomfortable than she probably was already. 

Yang just didn’t know what to do anymore, so she called the person who always listened.

“Hey, Dad,” Yang said as Taiyang Xiao Long appeared on the screen.

“How’s it going, Pipsqueak? Ruby doing alright?”

“As alright as she can be while unconscious and a mile in the sky on an Atlas dreadnought,” Yang answered.

Tai whistled appreciatively. “So this new girl Ruby likes really pulled out all the stops, huh? You said she knows Weiss’s sister Winter?”

Yang shrugged. “Penny and Winter seem close, but it’s hard to tell. Imagine Weiss but even more difficult to read.”

Tai chuckled. “Sounds like that military lady Qrow works with sometimes. You know, the one he’s constantly complaining about after missions?”

Yang attempted to smile, remembering a particular incident last spring when Qrow’s luggage got switched with a fetish artist’s and the lady had called the cops on him in the airport. But the smile couldn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Okay, Sunshine, I can tell there’s something on your mind. Does it have to do with that partner of yours?”

Yang groaned. _Was she that easy to read?_ “Yeah, it does.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

“Sure. Just be cool about it, okay?”

“I’m your dad! I’m always cool. You could say I’m _Weiss_ -cold.”

“Dad!” Yang couldn’t tell if she was upset because the pun was bad, or because she hadn’t made it.

“Okay, okay! I’ll stop. For now. So? Shoot.”

Yang scratched behind her head nervously. “So, Penny told us something a couple of days ago. Something about her past, and it was big, Dad. Like-” Her breath hitched. “Like Mom-level big.”

“Oh,” was all Tai said, his face slack.

“And because of it, Penny accidentally hurt Ruby, and I just snapped.”

The pieces fell together for Tai. Yang had told him snippets of Blake’s past. “And Blake got scared of you? Sunshine, we’ve talked about your anger.”

“Like you can talk, Dad. I know about ‘Mount Dent,’ you know.”

“Qrow swore never to reveal its existence!” Tai replied, adopting a faux-villainous voice. “He shall pay for the day he divulged Xiao Long secrets!” He sighed, changing back his normal register. “Mount Dent is not a permanent solution or a good one, Yang. I’m a stubborn old man and Patch doesn’t have a therapist qualified to talk about huntsman issues. All huntsmen medicate somehow, you know. We have to.”

“I know! Just...do more gardening instead, okay?”

Tai laughed. “Are you sure you’re not just trying to get more carrots out of me?”

“The ones here aren’t any good!” Yang exclaimed, waving her hands above her head.

“That’s because they’re missing the best ingredient.”

“Love?” Yang teased.

“No, my personal fertilizer blend. Plus, did you know Patch used to have a volcano? The soil’s pretty good here. Anyway, have you talked to her yet?”

“No,” Yang sighed. “I didn’t want to make her more uncomfortable.”

“Honestly, that’s probably the right call. I’d say keep your distance but don’t disengage. She’ll come to you when she’s ready. But remember that you don’t have to wait forever. You won’t always have that luxury,” Tai finished and trailed off, his eyes focusing on something beyond the camera.

“Thanks, Dad.”

“Anytime. Tell Ruby to say hi when she’s up.”

“Will do. Love you, Dad.”

“Love you too.”

\----------------------------------

“Hey,” Blake said softly, knocking on the doorframe before entering their dorm room.

“Hi,” Yang responded from her bed, not making eye contact. _I don’t want to be intimidating._

“Can we talk?”

Yang set down her scroll and made herself as comfortable as she could, trying to hide her nerves.

“Thursday really scared me,” Blake started. “It wasn’t even the Penny stuff. That shocked me, but I was more worried about Ruby. Then, you-” she trailed off. She took a deep breath and continued. “I’ve seen you get angry before, and it’s not like this time was without reason. But this time, instead of seeing my friend trying to protect somebody, all I could see was _him_.”

Yang had been worried that was the case.

Blake continued. “But what’s bothering me the most is how I can’t seem to figure out what changed. It wasn’t any different from other times you’ve done this.” Yang winced at Blake’s words. “And truly, I’ve always admired your protectiveness. It shows you care.”

Yang spoke after a long silence. “I’m sorry. I think maybe it was because of the dance?”

Blake tilted her head quizzically. _God, she is so cute._ “Why?”

“Well, had you ever thought about dating a woman before I asked you out?”

“No,” Blake said quietly. “You’re the first one.”

“I know that people compare relationships even if they don’t want to. So seeing _me_ angry after I asked you out might’ve made you think about _him_ being angry? Does that make sense?”

Blake nodded slowly. “I guess it does.”

There was another long silence.

“Do you still want to go?” Blake offered gently.

“Yes,” Yang replied immediately. “I just didn’t want to ask about it in case you’d changed your mind.”

“Okay.” Blake finally smiled after a _long_ four days. It was soft and fragile, but there was no denying that it was there. “I’m open to it. I’m keeping an open mind going forward. But this can’t happen again.”

Yang gladly accepted the condition. _Anything_ to keep Blake smiling.

\----------------------------------

Ruby opened her eyes, blinking hard at the bright lights overhead. _Just like the ones I saw._ She tried to get up, but found herself too weak to do more than adjust her position slightly.

“Weiss?” she called out feebly to the blurry white-haired woman sitting nearby.

“Apologies. I’m not your partner. I’m her sister, Winter.”

“Penny’s Aunt Winter?” Ruby asked. As her eyes focused, she saw Winter flush and straighten her collar. _She and Weiss are definitely related,_ Ruby laughed internally.

“Why does everyone seem to know about that?”

“Penny talks about you a lot. She really trusts you.” She paused, coughing slightly. “What happened to me?”

“You had a particularly troublesome case of Grimm poisoning, one that was highly atypical since the source was Penny rather than a full Grimm. Your body had been fighting it for several days when you finally lost consciousness.”

“When-”

“Today is Tuesday, Miss Rose. You’ve been unconscious for five days.”

Ruby let herself sink back into her bed. _Five days?_

“Do not worry, your schoolwork has been waived during your recovery.”

“How is Penny?”

Winter sighed. “Blaming herself, as she often does.” She locked eyes with the young huntress. “You had better be worth what she’s putting herself through.”

Ruby laughed out loud at this, but it quickly turned into a hacking cough. Winter rushed to her side and wiped away some black phlegm with a cloth. “You really are her Aunt, huh?”

Winter spluttered, sitting back down onto her chair. Ruby thought for a moment, the action becoming harder as her energy rapidly began dropping.

 _One last question, though._ “What was the silver-?” Ruby trailed off, her lips failing her.

Winter’s eyebrows shot up, her fluster replaced with concern. “I’m sorry, Miss Rose. I can’t tell you.”

With that, Ruby fell into a deep sleep.

\----------------------------------

It was Thursday and the next day could not come any sooner for Ruby.

Partly because she was being released from the hospital Friday morning, and partly because of the dance Friday night.

Ruby had never been to a dance before. She hadn’t had enough friends in Signal to make it worth going, and she knew she would just have been in Yang’s shadow if she had ever gone.

But now it was different. She felt such an odd mix of excitement and panic. _Like I’m on a rollercoaster inching towards the top._

Every member of her team had made time to come visit when Ruby was awake. Blake and Yang came separately, which surprised Ruby. _Odds are they’re just nervous about the dance._ Ruby was no romance expert, but she _knew_ that this dance was going to be a big deal for the pair. Yang had all but stated outright that they were going as dates.

Ruby was happy for her sister. A little envious, sure, but happy nonetheless.

Weiss had also been a frequent visitor, often accompanied by Winter. Ruby had never seen Weiss smile so frequently as when she and her sister talked. From all she knew about Weiss’s home, she was relieved to know that at least one member of her family was a good person. When Weiss was alone, her behavior was a bit stranger. She seemed like she was psyching herself up for something, only to stop at the last moment. _Dunno what_ that’s _about_.

Doctor Polen- Pietro was a joy to talk to. He had an excellent bedside manner and told dad jokes that were actually funny! He even forgave Ruby’s rudeness when she asked for the specifications of his hover chair - _in my defense, it_ was _pretty cool._

Even Penny’s partner Ciel came by to visit, though she didn’t do much besides check in on Ruby’s comfort.

The only one missing had been Penny. She hadn’t appeared, even in the visitor logs, and she hadn’t replied to any messages Ruby had sent.

 _Where is she? Is she in trouble?_ When Ruby had asked, none of the other Atlas-affiliated people would tell her anything.

“Um, Ruby?”

Her train of thought was interrupted. Ruby’s gaze zoomed towards the door, and there was Penny. _And in casual clothes!_ Instead of wearing what Ruby had come to assume was her uniform, Penny was wearing mint green sweatpants and an oversized grey hoodie. Her hair was different as well, no longer curling to frame her face, instead tied back in a stubby ponytail.

“Penny!” Ruby yelled, before clamping her hands over her mouth in embarrassment. “Hi,” she said at a normal volume.

“Can I come in?” Penny sounded scared of being in the same room as her.

 _What silly thing is she thinking of now?_ “Of course, you dork. Where have you been? I missed you.” Ruby hadn’t intended for her voice to be filled with longing, but _it felt so right._

“I’ve been avoiding you.”

Ruby adopted her best “grumpy leader” pose. _It’s hard to do hands on your hips while lying in bed._ “You don’t say,” she said in half-mocking disapproval. “Why?” 

“Because I hurt you!” Penny cried, her eyes flashing red as she looked at Ruby. _Cooooooooool._

“Penny, come over here.”

Penny complied, sitting into a chair to the left of Ruby’s bed.

“Do I sound upset?”

“...A little,” Penny said quietly. “But you don’t feel upset.”

“ _Feel_ upset?”

“I’m a Grimm, Ruby. I can sense emotions.” 

_Okay, how come_ that _never came up in our texts. That sounds awesome! I wonder at what ranges-_

Penny laughed despite her obvious distress. “I somehow knew that would make you excited.”

Ruby blushed. _Does that mean she’s felt_ everything _since we first met? Oh no, this is so embarrassing._ Ruby cleared her throat, and attempted to clear her thoughts of anything impure.

“If you can feel what I feel, then I’m sure you can tell I forgive you, Penny. It was an accident, and I would like for you to stop blaming yourself.”

“It’s a coping strategy. To- to remind myself that I’m human,” Penny said, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. 

_Well if you can feel my emotions, take THIS._ Ruby closed her eyes and pulled together the most coherent image she had of her mother, resonating with the feelings of safety, security and warmth that formed most of her recollection of Summer. She eventually moved to her father and Yang, and then to her friends in Beacon.

With each new person, she could hear Penny growing less agitated. Her fast uneasy breaths were slowing to a predictable calm, her nervous hands eventually stilling. Finally, Ruby brought herself to Penny. Try as she might, she couldn’t keep _certain_ thoughts out of her mind about her admittedly attractive friend.

Ruby opened her eyes to inspect the damage. Penny hadn’t seemed to mind. Her eyes were closed and a content smile was on her face. _Like a lizard basking in the sun. Wait, does that make me the sun? And I thought Yang was arrogant, look at me - little ol’ “Normal Knees” Ruby comparing herself to the sun._ Ruby jumped off her runaway train of thought when Penny opened her eyes slowly, like she was just waking up from a lovely nap.

“Thanks, Friend Ruby.”

Ruby smiled. “Anytime, Penny.”

Penny cleared her throat, scratching nervously at her pant leg. “I had something else to talk to you about.”

“Oh?” Blake had told her that Penny had come by the dorm and talked to her while Ruby was unconscious. _I guess it was about this?_

“I know you don’t see it as _bad_ , but I still want to make it up to you for making you sick.” Ruby frowned playfully but didn’t interrupt. “And I was wondering if you would go to the dance with me.”

Ruby’s breath stopped at that moment. She was at the top of the rollercoaster’s climb now, gazing down at the dizzying drop before her. _Time to be brave._

“Yes. I’d love to, Penny.”

Penny’s smile was the most beautiful thing Ruby had ever seen.

\----------------------------------

Weiss stood outside Ruby’s room. She had stopped listening to their conversation after Ruby had accepted, the sudden roaring in her ears drowning out the inevitably awkward chitchat between the two.

Her hands clenched as she walked away from the room. She stopped for a moment by a trash can to drop the items she had brought with her into it.

She swiftly sought out the smoking area on the dreadnought. _I am a Schnee. I will_ not _cry in public._

Inside the trash can, next to a small handwritten note, was a bouquet of roses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blake has graduated to 'Friend' status!
> 
> I keep giving the cast of RWBY weird favorite foods. When will it end?
> 
> Winter is a good Aunt (definitely not a worried mom, don't be ridiculous /s)
> 
> The first part of the big romance is coming together.
> 
> Up next is the dance...and some BIG changes.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vytal Dance, part 1.
> 
> The girls start a night they'll never forget.

The rollercoaster of emotions Ruby had been on for the last 24 hours didn’t seem to have any end in sight.

She was shaking with nerves as she and Yang got ready in their dorm room, though not for the reasons she would have thought only yesterday.

_Yesterday I was just worried about going to the dance and not making a fool of myself - and now on top of that I have a date?! I wasn’t even thinking about how I was going to look; I just didn’t want to embarrass myself. I hope Yang did an okay job on my face-_

“Ruby, take five deep breaths,” Yang called from the other side of the room as she applied her own makeup.

Ruby sat on Weiss’s bed and did as Yang requested, feeling her heartbeat calm slightly. She sighed.

“Is it that obvious?” Ruby whined.

“It’s your first date, Rubes, you’re allowed to be a little stressed out. Just don’t forget that it’s Penny. I’m sure you could show up in a paper bag and she’d like it.”

“I guess you’re right...”

“I know I’m right. You’re wearing your heels, right?” Yang turned towards Ruby with an eyebrow raised.

“Do I _have_ to?” Ruby wanted so very badly to fall backwards onto the bed dramatically, but Yang had spent thirty minutes on her hair.

“Yes, it’s a party, you wear heels at parties. And there are three other reasons why you should _want_ to wear them,” Yang said, holding up three fingers.

“What are they?” Ruby asked.

“One, they might make you taller than Penny, short stuff.” Ruby pouted at Yang’s insult but she couldn’t argue the point.

“Two, if your feet get sore or you trip, Penny will wait on you hand and foot.” Again, Ruby couldn’t argue the appeal of Penny taking care of her.

“Three, and this pains me to admit as your sister, but heels make _anyone’s_ ass look great.” Ruby flushed deeply, her sixteen-year-old mind moving to places she _really_ didn’t want to go in front of her sister.

Yang laughed at the reaction, and turned back to the mirror. “You’re so easy to tease.”

Ruby snorted, recovering from the gibe quickly by reversing the conversation’s subject. “You’re one to talk. You spent an extra hour on your hair this morning, and couldn't keep your eyes off Blake for even a minute.”

“Shut up!” Yang spluttered.

“You also got jealous that Penny calls her “Friend Blake” now.”

“I’m not jealous! It’s the rules! I’m the sister-in-law, I’m supposed to be first!”

“We’re not married!” Ruby squeaked, her face burning with embarrassment.

“Puh- _lease_ ,” Yang said. “I’ve seen the way you look at each other. It’s only a matter of time.”

Desperate for a change in topic, Ruby looked down at the empty bed she sat in. “Hey, do you know where Weiss is? I haven’t seen her all day.”

“I don’t actually know. Maybe she’s getting ready with Blake and Penny?” Yang shrugged. “We’ll see her there, anyway. It is _her_ dance, after all,” she finished sarcastically.

\----------------------------------

“Friend Blake, you should probably calm down slightly.”

Blake grimaced. _Forgot she can feel that._ “I’m sorry, Penny. It’s just-”

“I understand, it’s a big step you’re taking,” Penny said soothingly, placing a gentle hand on Blake’s shoulder. “I’ll admit I am nervous as well.”

Blake was nervous twofold. It was her first ever date with a woman, for starters. Blake wasn’t sure _exactly_ how she felt about Yang, but the feelings seemed to move farther away from platonic every day.

The second reason was the worse of the two. _Tonight’s the night I’m ditching the bow_. It felt _right_ that the night she finally decided to move on from Adam was also the night she would begin to live openly as herself.

But the reasoning for Penny’s fear eluded her. “Wait, why are _you_ nervous? Even I can tell that Ruby adores you.”

Penny sighed. “I’m not human, Friend Blake. There are bound to be miscommunications and frictions because of that. That’s why I came to you for advice several days ago.”

Blake had wondered why Penny had come to her for advice on Ruby instead of Yang. She had assumed it was just because it would be embarrassing to ask your crush’s sister. _Turns out she was seeking empathy, since I’m not human either._

“It’s okay, Penny,” Blake said with a soft smile, placing a reassuring hand on Penny’s shoulder. “We each have someone waiting for us at the dance. Someone who _chose_ to be with us. If anything goes wrong, I know they’ll still be by our side.” She said it as much for herself as for Penny.

Penny nodded, blinking hard. “Let’s go, Friend Blake. The party awaits,” she said with a fragile smile.

\----------------------------------

Weiss stood perched at the railing of the balcony and observed the students arriving for the dance.

She saw Neptune and Sun arrive in dapper suits. Sun shocked her by even wearing a shirt with it. She was not surprised, however, to see that they had a wobble to their step as they entered. _Of course they’ve had something to drink already_. Their teammates, a thin red-haired boy dressed like a pirate and a large slab of a boy with green hair, were apparently attempting to keep them out of trouble. Weiss chuckled at that thought. _Good luck_.

It seemed like Team CFVY was in a similar situation, with Yatsuhashi and Velvet minding Fox and Coco respectively. Velvet appeared to be having a hard time of it, as she was smaller than her “charge,” and whatever Coco was whispering to her was causing her to flush bright red.

Team JNPR had shown up as a group, but Weiss was pleasantly surprised to see that they had formed pairs. Nora stuck close to Ren as they arrived, and Ren even bent down to kiss Nora on the top of her head. Weiss had not thought Ren would be so forward. And it seemed he wasn’t the only member of team JNPR with some boldness up his sleeve.

Jaune was wearing a dress - admittedly one that fit him well. But that wasn’t the biggest shock. _That_ was him walking arm in arm with Pyrrha.

“Finally,” Weiss grumbled to herself, rolling her eyes at her friend's idiocy. “Took you two long enough.”

Her heart almost stopped when the rest of her team arrived.

Ruby looked absolutely breathtaking _._ Weiss couldn’t believe how elegant her partner looked - a far cry from her usual carefree persona. From her makeup to her dress to her heels, Ruby looked mature.

But it got even worse. Weiss couldn’t fight her rising blush as she looked at Penny. She had known the girl was attractive since they first met - _it’s hard not to notice when you’re that close_ _-_ but now Penny was positively radiant.

And Weiss didn’t need Grimm powers to sense how happy Penny was. _I can see it on her face_.

Weiss sighed. _They’re perfect together._

 _And I’m alone_.

Weiss stopped watching the door after Yang and Blake entered. _I don’t want to see another happy pair. I don’t think I can stand it_.

\----------------------------------

“Wow, there’s so many people!” Ruby gasped as she entered the building, nearly tripping over her own shoes.

Yang laughed. “It’s a dance, Ruby, what did you expect?”

“Well, I’ve never been to one, Yang _._ How was I supposed to know?” Ruby shot back as Penny stabilized her with a gentle but firm hand on her arm. “Thanks, Penny.”

“No problem, Date Ruby.” The title was cute, but Ruby wished Penny would stop saying it around Yang. Ruby could only take so much teasing. “And I’ve never been to one either,” Penny added.

“Neither have I,” Blake said.

“Well, allow me to educate you, _Date_ Blake.” Yang stuck out her arm dramatically and Blake took it with a smile. “Now let’s go find Weiss and get this party started!” Yang turned to look at Ruby and Penny. “You guys gonna be okay on your own?”

“It’s just a lot to take in,” Penny said. Ruby took Penny’s hand and gripped it reassuringly, before realizing how intimate it felt and dropping the hand like it was on fire.

“Ditto,” Ruby said in a small embarrassed voice. Blake and Yang gave the younger pair knowing smiles.

“Don’t,” Blake said, pulling on Yang’s arm as Yang opened her mouth to say something. “Let them have fun.”

“Fine,” Yang whined.

“The teasing can happen tomorrow.”

The group broke into pairs after laughing and trading promises of future embarrassment.

Ruby and Penny took a moment to breathe in the atmosphere of the dance from the sidelines. The energy in the room was intoxicating - people from all over the world joining in one big party. Ruby and Penny stood there for several minutes, watching nearby people dance and make new connections.

They even saw team JNPR - _why is Jaune in a dress? -_ perform a synchronized dance, to the cheers of those nearby.

This gave Ruby the final push of motivation she needed to overcome the nerves she had been fighting all day.

She straightened up from the wall she’d been leaning against and turned back towards Penny, extending her hand.

“Would- would you like to dance?” Ruby stammered out.

Penny nodded with a shy smile.

\----------------------------------

“Hey, Weiss! Enjoying looking down on all the riff-raff?” Yang yelled out as she approached her teammate.

“Not in the slightest.”

Yang paused. _That tone is not Weiss's usual barbed humor. That’s “my dad just called” Weiss. Something’s up._

“Is something wrong?” Blake asked as they reached Weiss. Yang couldn’t spot a hair out of place on Weiss’s head, and her makeup and dress looked immaculate. _Not that the little perfectionist couldn’t find flaws if she wanted to._

“No, nothing,” Weiss said. Her voice was carefully emptied of emotion, but Yang noticed her expression harden as she stared down at the dance floor. Yang followed her gaze and to her surprise, it landed on Ruby and Penny. _But why would that make her-_

A lightbulb exploded in Yang’s mind. _This all makes sense now. Oh,_ _I should have seen this coming._ She mentally smacked herself in the forehead. 

“It’s Penny, isn’t it?” Yang said hesitantly, watching Weiss’s face tense as she finished her question.

“Wha- Oh,” Blake said, understanding dawning on her face as well. Her ears swept back as she frowned. “You want to be the one down there with Ruby.”

For a long moment, Weiss was as still as a statue. Yang held her breath waiting for her friend’s reaction. 

Then Weiss slowly nodded. “There’s nothing you can do. Penny just acted first.” She let out a long, pained sigh. “You two go enjoy yourselves. You deserve a good night after everything that’s been happening.” 

Weiss turned to look at them for the first time in their short conversation. “You clean up well, Yang.”

Yang couldn’t detect any of the sarcasm Weiss normally used when she gave out compliments like that.

“And I am so proud of you, Blake. Know that I’m here for you if anyone gives you trouble.” The words were right, but Yang was worried by the lack of sentiment in Weiss’s voice.

“Anyway, you two should leave me alone tonight,” Weiss finished, turning her gaze back to the crowd below. Yang couldn’t hear any emotion behind Weiss’s words, just that same emptiness, and somehow that was the saddest part.

“But-” Yang started before Blake grabbed her arm and gave her a knowing look. Yang accepted and let Blake lead her away from her despondent teammate to rejoin the dance below.

\----------------------------------

Some time later - Ruby wasn’t sure how much - she and Penny managed to extract themselves from the dancefloor and place themselves near a large open window. A pleasantly chilly fall breeze came from it, and various groups were clustered around it, fanning themselves and chatting idly.

“I’m going to go get some punch, do you want anything?” Ruby asked, slightly out of breath. Penny had stamina - and that was a statement coming from Ruby, who often gave _Pyrrha_ a run for her money in cardio.

“No, I’m alright, Date Ruby,” Penny said softly, giving Ruby a gentle nudge towards the punch bowl on the other side of the auditorium. “I’ll stay here.”

“Be right back!” Ruby said with a smile, running her hand down Penny’s upper arm reassuringly before making her way swiftly to the punch bowl.

After a small wait in line, Ruby made it to the front of the punch line. Drink in hand, she turned around too quickly in her haste to make a beeline back to Penny, and nearly stumbled over Jaune.

“Oh, sorr- oh hey, Ruby!” Jaune exclaimed, dodging the drink he expected Ruby to spill. When she managed to save it in an impressive show of reflexes, he relaxed slightly.

Ruby laughed. “Sorry, Jaune, was just in a hurry to get back. Nice dress!”

Jaune rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Thanks. Look, I just wanted to say I’m sorry about the whole Weiss thing.”

“Why?” Ruby wasn’t sure why Jaune was apologizing. Sure, it had been annoying to listen to Weiss’s rants involving the “blond imbecile who wouldn’t stop pestering me,” _and_ to help Jaune get through his rejection anxiety when there was a perfectly good Pyrrha making heart-eyes at him. But that’s just what friends did for each other.

“Well, it took me a bit longer than it should have to figure out some stuff, and-”

“OH! Did you finally notice Pyrrha?!” Ruby blurted, more loudly than she intended to.

Jaune flinched at the exclamation and looked down at his friend, who was almost vibrating with excitement. “Was it that obvious?” he joked.

“Duh, Vomit Boy.”

Jaune laughed and gave her a playful shove. “Shut up, Crater Face. And yes - we sat down and had a loooooooong talk, and she helped me figure out a few things.”

“So why didn’t you lead with that? What’s with the Weiss thing? Is this about asking her out a bunch?”

“You really don’t know?”

“Know what? Did something new happen between you two?” Ruby said suspiciously.

“Didn’t she come with you?”

“No,” Ruby said with a flush. “I’m here with Penny.”

Ruby noted Jaune’s look of shock as she said that. _What aren’t I putting together?_

“But Pyrrha said Weiss was-” Jaune started before cutting himself off. His eyes had caught on something above the dancefloor. Before Ruby could ask him to finish his sentence, he abruptly said “Never mind,” and walked away.

Ruby followed his gaze up to an empty balcony.

 _Okay,_ now _I’m_ _confused._

\----------------------------------

Penny lived for days like this, when she could sit back and bask in the flood of positive emotions a happy crowd could emit. It just felt _right._

Still, there was something nagging at the back of her mind. _Why does Ruby feel so...muted?_

Ruby’s expressions were more joyous and adorably embarrassed than Penny had ever seen previously, but for some reason, her emotions weren’t coming through as strongly as they should have been.

_Is she just pretending to have fun tonight for me? What am I doing wrong?_

“Not enjoying yourself?” a measured voice said from beside Penny. She noted the gentle pang of curiosity that accompanied the question, and turned to face Professor Ozpin.

“I am, I’m just worried I’m doing something wrong.”

“I see.” Ozpin nodded sagely. “I understand that feeling all too well.”

“What do you do?”

Ozpin considered for a moment before responding. “There’s two paths you can take: you can go on despite your misgivings or you can stop to reevaluate. Both are valuable.”

“But which is the right one?”

“Miss Polendina, if we had the answer to that question I’m sure the world would be a much better place.” Penny could feel a deep wave of sadness from him. He turned towards her and fixed her with a solemn smile. “But enough of the musings of an old man. Tonight you are young. This is the time to make mistakes within safety. Follow your emotions and come out of every experience having learned something new.”

“Does it ever stop being so terrifying?”

“No. You just learn to handle it better.”

The pair stood in silence for a moment, watching the crowd of dancers mill about.

“Why are silver eyes so important?” Penny asked. The question had bothered her ever since she had learned of their significance, but it got buried under the vast amounts of _other_ classified information she was privy to. Upon meeting Ruby and subsequently getting to know her, the question had returned to her thoughts with a vengeance, since it now had a personal connection.

Ozpin concealed his shock well physically, but Penny could read his emotions clearly.

There was a long stagnant pause before Ozpin finally responded rather hesitantly. “They are rare, and they are powerful.”

“Like me?”

Ozpin relaxed slightly. “Precisely. It is information that in the wrong hands could be disastrous.” He sighed and laid a gentle hand on Penny’s shoulder. “Protect those close to you, Miss Polendina, and cherish them. You never know when each moment could be the last.”

Ozpin left, calling out to Professor Goodwitch as he did so. Penny’s attention was suddenly yanked towards the balcony by a surge of negative emotion. There had been a small undercurrent of them throughout the night. But this source was almost intoxicating in how sweet its suffering felt - a heady mixture of pain, longing and sadness. Penny looked up to the balcony and saw Weiss gazing down at her.

 _I wonder what that is about,_ Penny thought before gathering her resolve. _I’m going to go talk to her. We’re friends, right? Friends are there for each other._

_Ruby will understand if I leave for a little bit._

\----------------------------------

Ruby was back at the window, punch in hand and a look of deep confusion on her face.

 _Where did Penny go?_ She looked around the room before a flash in the darkness outside caught her eye. She turned to face the open window, squinting out into the night. _There it is again!_

A red flash appeared inside the CCT, and then a minute later, another. The flashes seemed to be moving around.

 _Could that be a party of its own?_ Ruby thought before hearing a distant sound of smashing glass right after another flash of red light. _Nope, nope, nope - that’s bad._

Ruby stepped back from the window and ran towards the nearby double doors leading out to a balcony. Some students were standing there, basking in the moonlight and making eyes at each other.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she leapt from the balcony and used her semblance to slow her fall before hitting the ground in a roll.

_I just hope I make it on time._

\----------------------------------

Having ditched her heels and called in her weapon, Ruby quickly snuck towards the tower.

Unconscious guards were around every corner, burns pockmarking their flesh and the surrounding walls. Ruby fought the urge to throw up as she noticed that some of the guards were still breathing. _I don’t have time to triage you all. I’m sorry._

She took out her scroll and dialed the emergency number before placing it by the entrance, a short message typed into an open text.

“Found the guards unconscious, moving to intercept the intruder. Ruby Rose.”

Following the path of the intruder, she found herself at the elevator. _Too obvious,_ Ruby thought as she engaged her semblance to quickly run up the stairs. She heard the distant sounds of a fight, which got louder as she neared the top of the tower.

She slowed to a crawl climbing those last few flights, all her senses focused on the stair door.

The fighting stopped. Ruby waited a minute as she mentally ran through a quick breakdown of her own capabilities and those of her opponent.

_This person seems proficient with fire Dust, and the rapidly cooling glass shards I saw embedded everywhere suggests they can manipulate that as well._

_They are very likely trained to kill - and judging from the scene downstairs, very willing to._

Ruby took a deep breath. _Stay fast, stay alert, and stay alive._

Ruby slowly pushed open the door, remaining in a stealthy crouch as she did so. Above the sound of crackling glass and burning office supplies, she could hear a faint voice on the other side of the video calling room.

“We’re done here,” the voice said. Ruby’s skin crawled as the sound reached her. The voice was dripping with malice and cruelty. Ruby turned a corner and saw the intruder.

It was a woman of average height in a form-fitting black bodysuit. Her face was covered by a butterfly mask, and harsh golden eyes glared at her from behind it.

And Ruby had thought the voice was intimidating. This woman’s entire frame seemed to emanate barely-contained rage, her eyes nearly volcanic in their bright and dangerous quality. _It was wonderful._

_Wait, what-?_

Before Ruby could question herself further, the woman attacked. Her bodysuit lit up as a gout of fire shot towards Ruby, who wove out of the way, centered herself and fired back.

The shot ricocheted off of a glass shield the woman produced from thin air. Then the glass melted into shards of ice Dust. The woman grinned and launched them at Ruby in a barrage. The deadly volley kept Ruby too busy dodging to notice the woman circling towards her.

The woman closed the distance quickly and landed a devastating punch from a glass-wrapped fist into Ruby’s side. Her combat-ready corset would have offered some protection - but her party dress absorbed none of the blow. Ruby’s mind went blank from pain as the punch threw her into a nearby wall. Her Aura nearly broke from the blow. _I don’t have much left,_ she realized as she slumped down to the ground, fighting just to keep her eyes open.

The woman smirked and raised her hand to deliver a final strike before she paused. Realization dawned on her face as her head turned to listen to her earpiece, followed by annoyance as she looked down at the barely-conscious Ruby.

The woman huffed and turned away from Ruby, walking towards one of the large windows that encircled the room. She conjured another flame blast from her hands and blew out a window, leaping from it into the night.

Ruby shakily staggered to her feet. She hobbled towards the newly-broken window, supporting as much of her weight on Crescent Rose’s shaft as she could. She spotted the woman running through the grounds towards the Emerald Forest.

 _They’ll never find her in there_ , Ruby thought.

Shame and anger overtook her, her thoughts spiraling downward rapidly as she looked out into the darkness.

She took a faltering step back from the window and fell to her knees, gazing down at her hands.

_Why did I think I was good enough to catch her? Why did I throw myself into danger like that? Why can’t I get up? Why do I feel so-_

Ruby’s tears obscured her vision. She clenched her hands.

_I’m such a failure._

Her hands started to shake, and Ruby heard a distinct noise coming from close by. The sound of a Grimm dissolving. She looked around in a panic before noticing that her own hands were larger than she remembered. And covered in black fur. And she had _claws_ now.

Ruby opened her mouth in an attempt to scream as her flesh distorted and reshaped itself into an inky black form. Her back grew hunched, her ribs expanding past her dress and ripping it clean in two. Her legs developed a second bend, and a bony tail burst from the end of her spine.

She finally managed to scream as her silver eyes began to glow red.

But even that was taken from her. The girlish scream morphed into the howl of a Grimm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone's wearing their canon dance outfits in my head, except for Penny, cuz hers was super lame in canon.  
> I didn't describe any of their dresses much because I barely know how to get dressed.
> 
> Crosshares are canon! That's a pair kinda like SeaMonkeys or ReNora- it's not like I'm a huge proponent of them per se, but it's more likely than not that they'll be together in my fics. The chemistry just makes too much sense to me.
> 
> Even though it happened off-screen, Jaune and Pyrrha still had their pre-dance conflict, just this time feelings got sorted out as well as the bet.
> 
> While writing this chapter, I found it odd that Ruby would be able to go toe to toe with Cinder as long as she did in canon. Ruby isn't in the right clothes, nor is she fully trained. So here, Cinder takes Ruby out as quick as she should have. But why did she stop?
> 
> Ruby's night has only just begun.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the night of the dance comes to a close, tensions build.
> 
> What has become of Ruby?

Penny was worried for Weiss. She hadn’t had the chance to talk to her in the last several days, but by all logic, Weiss should be feeling happy about the dance. She had organized it, and from Penny’s point of view it was _sensational_.

But instead, Weiss was feeling indescribable pain. There was a part of Penny’s Grimm nature that enjoyed sensing suffering. But Penny didn’t want her friends to suffer.

She made her way up the stairs to the balcony where Weiss stood.

Weiss turned towards her and the emotions Penny had felt earlier intensified dramatically - _shock, anger, pain, loneliness, love -_ before being pulled back, as Weiss breathed deeply and spoke.

“What do you want, Penny?” Weiss said slowly, her words cold and clipped.

“I’m just here to check on my friend,” Penny replied, unsure how to proceed.

“Does that make me ‘Friend Weiss’ now? Fantastic,” Weiss huffed, her gaze directed not so much _at_ Penny as _through_ her.

“Was that wrong? I apologize if I’m intruding, you just seemed so hurt-”

“Oh, I seem hurt, do I?” Weiss laughed mirthlessly. “That’s because _I am_ , Penny. I’m hurt that I can’t appreciate the dance going well. I’m hurt that I can’t feel happy about my friends moving forward with their lives. But mostly, I’m hurt that I was too much of a coward to take a risk. That I couldn’t be brave for _one moment_. That I finally figured out what I wanted but arrived there too late.”

A tear rolled down Weiss’s perfect, pale cheek as she finally looked at Penny properly. “Take care of her, Penny.”

 _What?_ Penny’s thoughts were in a jumble. _Her? Who could Weiss mean-_

_Ruby._

A lightbulb went off for Penny.

“You- you _like_ Ruby?” Penny stammered out.

“ _Yes_ ,” Weiss said as tears began to flow more freely down her cheeks.

Penny didn’t know what to do. _No training could prepare me for this._

Ozpin’s voice echoed in her mind: _Follow your emotions._

Penny moved towards Weiss, her body understanding her intentions before her head could properly articulate them.

“Penny?! What-” Weiss’s words were interrupted by Penny pulling her into a tight hug. Weiss froze as Penny tightened her grip, before relaxing into it. She sobbed onto Penny’s shoulder for a long while as Penny withstood the explosion of emotions coming from her friend.

Eventually Weiss’s breaths evened out and Penny gently loosened her embrace so she could look into Weiss’s eyes. _Even after crying, she still looks so beautiful._

“Don’t look at me,” Weiss said, trying to hide her face from Penny, her cheeks reddening.

“Do you feel better?” Penny asked softly, stepping back and letting Weiss have her own space again.

“Yes,” Weiss sighed as she pulled a tissue from her purse. “But what am I going to do, Penny? I don’t want to ruin-”

Whatever Weiss said next faded away as Penny felt an odd tugging sensation deep within her Grimm self. She had the distinct impression of pain. And _roses._

 _Where’s Ruby?_ Penny thought as she moved towards the balcony. She quickly surveyed the dancefloor, but neither her eyes nor her aura-sensing capabilities could detect Ruby.

“Penny? What’s wrong?” Weiss said, clutching her purse.

Penny strained her senses, trying to find any trace of her date, before she heard a distant howl echoing into the dancefloor from outside. _A Grimm? This close to campus?_

Her stomach dropped as the tugging sensation intensified _in the direction of the howl._

“Ruby’s in trouble,” was all she had time to say. She leapt over the balcony, quickly molding the wrought iron of the railing into greaves as she did so.

She hit the ground with a crash, debris spraying up from the splintered dance floor.

_I don’t have time for damage control._

_I just hope I’m fast enough._

\----------------------------------

Glynda thought the dance was going well. Despite how tastelessly amorous some of the students were, and the fact that several of them appeared to be intoxicated, there hadn’t been any large-scale issues.

The DJ had arrived on time, the equipment had yet to catch fire, and no one had yet challenged someone else to a duel.

Glynda had to hand it to Weiss Schnee. _For once, I won’t have to stay behind to clean up-_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of metal wrenching. She turned to see Penny Polendina land on the dance floor after jumping from the upstairs balcony, having apparently wrenched a large gap into the ornate railing. She flinched as the wood splintered and students in the vicinity began to panic.

Penny didn’t even pause before dashing towards the outside balcony, where she vanished from sight.

Weiss Schnee appeared from the stairwell and ran towards Yang Xiao Long and Blake Belladonna, talking in a hurried exchange before Ozpin came up behind them. He and Glynda shared a glance.

 _I’ll handle this,_ he indicated with a nod.

Glynda raised an eyebrow. _Leaving me to damage control again, huh?_

Ozpin broke eye contact and escorted the remainder of team RWBY out to the balcony, which they promptly vaulted over, disappearing into the night.

Glynda sighed and flicked her whip, activating her semblance. The floor was an easy fix, but the balcony railing was actually missing a chunk that Penny had used for her makeshift armor.

She stopped for a moment after fixing the floor, debating whether to pause the music to supply some sort of excuse for the disturbance.

But it seemed that was unnecessary. Now that the initial shock had faded, the crowd was recovering quickly, particularly since the dance floor was fixed.

Chatter and dancing resumed in earnest, though not without some murmuring over what just happened.

 _It helps that team RWBY is already known for their theatrics,_ Glynda mused, allowing herself to relax once again.

\----------------------------------

_Woman. Trail. Hunt._

Ruby could feel the cool night air rustling past her fur as she ran through the forest. Her body felt different, but also oddly natural, like it was always meant to be this way.

_Free._

Her eyes could see better, her nose was sharper, and she could run faster than ever before.

She stopped, pausing for a moment to sniff at the trail she had been following.

_No scent. Prey lost._

Ruby howled in frustration and huffed, angry at her own failure.

Having no better avenue to vent her emotions, Ruby began assaulting nearby trees with her claws, teeth and tail - desperate for some sort of release.

_Need prey._

\----------------------------------

Yang was beyond worried. She had long since moved past such a simple feeling. _Panic is more accurate._

She’d gone to the dance, found out Weiss was in love with Ruby, but had nevertheless attempted to salvage a good time for herself and Blake. Penny then ran off after saying Ruby was in danger, and Weiss had grabbed Blake, Ozpin and herself before following suit. Also, Weiss looked like she had been crying, but that was a question for later.

Penny only paused long enough for them to call their weapons and ditch their shoes, then continued sprinting into the forest.

“Why was Ruby out here?” Yang wondered out loud as she narrowly avoided a tree branch hitting her in the face.

“She’s here,” Penny said plainly as they burst into a clearing that was gently illuminated by the shattered moon.

Yang quickly looked around, but all she saw was an Alpha Beowolf destroying some trees. _That’s weird. I’ve never seen a Grimm attack plants before._

“What do you mean, Penny?” Weiss gasped as she caught her breath.

Penny pointed a shaking finger at the Grimm. It had paused in its destruction and pricked its ears up at their arrival. Now it slowly turned to meet their eyes, its glowing red ones gazing at the people across from it.

“That’s Ruby,” Penny said, the despair clear in her voice.

The Grimm took this as a signal, and leapt at them.

“What?!” Blake screamed as the group scattered from the Grimm’s initial attack. It landed harshly, dirt spraying up around it as it paused to consider the group, who had now drawn their weapons.

“This seems like it will best be handled by you young ladies,” Ozpin said warily as the beast regarded them. _It almost looks like it's thinking_ , Yang realized with a shudder. “I will stay and intervene if necessary.” And with that, Ozpin erased his presence, slipping into the nearby woods.

“ _Motherfu_ -”

“Yang, language.”

“Now, Weiss?!” Yang shot back. The beast flexed its limbs before starting to circle the four students.

The beast leapt at Weiss, who blocked its attack with a gravity glyph before increasing the repulsion, flinging the beast backwards towards Yang. She punched it into a nearby tree.

The beast righted itself, shaking splinters off itself as it glanced between the four.

“Ruby...” Penny said quietly, reaching out a hand to the monster.

“It’s not Ruby!” Yang yelled. _It couldn’t be_. But a dark voice in the back of her mind was making the connection she desperately wanted to avoid. _Penny can do that, and Ruby got sick._ “Is it?” she said, doubt creeping in.

The beast launched itself at the group once more, adopting hit-and-run tactics as it attempted to single out one of them from the group. _This isn’t how Beowolves fight. Ruby fights like this._

“It certainly seems to have her style,” Blake grunted as she deflected a claw swipe.

“And she does like dogs,” Weiss added weakly as she changed cylinders to ice Dust and attempted to freeze the Grimm to the ground.

“It’s her,” Penny said, having barely moved since they arrived. Tears were streaming from her eyes, and she had long since collapsed onto her knees. “I can feel her in there.”

Aura detection wasn’t Yang’s specialty, but she could at least recognize her family. She took a moment to reach out and found that the Grimm _did_ have an aura inside it. It was faint, and it felt _wrong_ , but it was undeniably Ruby’s.

“I can too,” Yang said with a sigh as she punched the Grimm away from the weeping Penny. _Ruby seems focused on her. Probably because of the crying._

“So what do we do?” Blake asked as she dodged an attack using her semblance. “She’s not going easy on us.”

At that exact moment, Yang noticed they were out of position. The Ruby Grimm’s eyes widened and it took the opportunity. It smacked away Yang with its claws and spun with the momentum, its heavy bone tail smacking into Weiss with a dull thud.

Weiss flew into a nearby tree, her aura shattering with a sickening crunch.

\----------------------------------

Penny blocked out every little thought that was digging at her mind.

She couldn’t think about how Ozpin had finally moved from the shadows, his concern rapidly becoming more involved than polite.

She couldn’t think about how Yang and Blake looked torn - unable to decide who or what they should be protecting.

She _definitely_ couldn’t think about the surprise and betrayal Weiss had felt before getting hit. About how her blood had sparkled in the air. About the crunch as she hit the tree. About the wrenching feeling deep in Penny’s heart as she watched her friend get hurt.

Right now, all she could focus on was getting Ruby to stop.

The Grimm inside her writhed, some instinctual response to her desire rising up through the darkness.

Penny allowed her Grimm self to take the reins, black mist shrouding her as her human form was replaced. She stood slightly taller as a Grimm, a black shroud covering a human-shaped form. Her face was replaced with a bony plate containing a singular glowing eye, and bone spikes dotted her shoulders. Her limbs were more solid than a typical Geist’s, with legs in place of her Grimm cousins’ flight abilities.

She clicked her claws nervously before speaking, her instincts telling her how to proceed.

“ **Scion** ,” she said roughly, her Grimm and human voices melding together. “ **Cease**.”

Ruby and the rest of the group stopped and stared back at Penny, who held firm.

“ **Ruby. Heel** ,” she ordered, her stance unwavering despite her inner turmoil.

Somewhat to her surprise, it worked. Ruby’s Grimm form sat down like a repentant dog, her bony tail coiling around her back legs as she looked at her front paws.

Ruby whined, raising her eyes hesitantly towards Penny. Her glowing red eyes began to change color, a silver glow coming through them as they widened in apparent panic.

Ruby looked around, tail lashing in agitation, before her silver eyes slowly began to fall shut. Her Grimm form dissipated to reveal a disheveled Ruby lying unconscious on the ground.

Penny sighed with relief, her own Grimm form melting away rapidly as she fell onto her knees in exhaustion.

Penny’s knees hitting the dirt seemed to release the group from their stunned silence. Yang ran towards Ruby, and Blake ran towards Weiss. Ozpin offered his jacket to cover up Ruby’s torn clothing, which Yang gratefully accepted.

“What just happened?” Yang said in an awed tone.

“I don’t know...” Penny said, staring at the scene before her.

Ozpin sighed, “We will find some answers in the morning, ladies. I think now it is time to rest.”

\----------------------------------

Winter had not expected to be summoned at such a late hour of the night. While she could sleep at the drop of a hat anytime she chose, as many professional hunters could, her military background meant that she preferred earlier bedtimes.

She sleepily got herself dressed and made her way to the infirmary aboard the dreadnought.

Inside, she was greeted by three similarly tired individuals, two unconscious students, and a lightly dozing Doctor Polendina in the corner.

“Good, everyone is here. Now we may begin,” Ozpin said, sipping his coffee.

“Finally,” the General grunted.

“What exactly occurred?” Winter asked, stifling a yawn. “I have not been briefed on the situation here.”

“There was a break-in at the CCT; that much is certain,” Glynda responded. “ _Who_ broke in remains a mystery. The cameras were taken out beforehand, and any on-site guards were killed or critically wounded. We know from finding her weapon and her scroll that Ruby somehow noticed the intrusion and moved to intercept it before...whatever happened to her.”

“And what did happen?” Winter prodded.

“She displayed abilities very similar to Miss Polendina’s, albeit taking the form of a Beowolf rather than a Geist,” Ozpin replied. “Though it's hard to say based on the small demonstration I saw whether their abilities are fully identical.”

“We’ll have Doctor Polendina investigate,” the General said firmly. “At this stage, I’d like to lift some of the bans we put in place for experimentation.”

Stunned silence followed this proclamation.

“And what exactly do you have in mind?” Glynda said, cautiously.

“Judging from this night’s incident and Miss Rose’s previous hospitalization, it’s clear that Pen- Miss Polendina has _infected_ her somehow. Miss Polendina had only been allowed her previous freedoms because of strict behavior monitoring and training. Now that she’s _contagious_ , we must take steps to understand her biology and abilities more closely, especially what effect she has had on Miss Rose,” the General stated.

“I hope you’re not proposing experimenting on children, James,” Ozpin said coolly.

“Not in the manner you’re implying, certainly.”

“And how will this investigation take place? Will you be bringing the two to some Atlas facility?” Glynda asked, crossing her arms.

“I assure you kingdom sovereignty would be respected-”

“Like when you kindly asked us if you could bring this dreadnought into our airspace?” Glynda asked with a steely edge in her voice.

Winter had remained silent throughout much of the discussion so far. _General Ironwood must be tired - I know he cares for Penny, but he’s behaving oddly._

“How about joint training?” Winter offered, stopping the two’s argument. All three looked at her expectantly. “Have Ruby and Penny under observation for a week, jointly training and examining their abilities with the help of Doctor Polendina. After that, release them both to their normal lives but continue to observe until we leave after the festival.”

“A compromise. Most wise, Specialist Schnee,” Ozpin hummed, taking another drink of his coffee. “And what of their first-year mission? That occurs next week.”

“I can supervise,” Winter replied promptly. “I will admit to wanting to see my sister in the field, and I do have experience guiding trainees. Additionally, my own role in helping to train Penny means that I am well-placed to guide Ruby in the field with her new abilities.”

The three other members thought for a moment.

“I believe this is a splendid idea,” Ozpin said. “Now, I said this to the young ladies earlier, but it is time for this old man to get some rest. We can do a full debrief when the sun is up and we’re all refreshed. Thank you for your time, General, Specialist.” With a short bow to each of them, he turned and left the room, followed closely by Glynda.

Thoughtful silence followed. The General stared out into the night sky through the medical room’s window. After some time, he turned to Winter and said briefly, “You’re dismissed. Good night, Specialist.” He promptly left the room.

Winter stood there for a moment before deciding to return to bed herself, sparing a minute to fetch the Doctor a blanket and drape it upon him. She took a final glance at Penny before turning off the room’s light, plunging it into darkness.

_Sweet dreams, Penny._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Glynda. She really needs a break.
> 
> Poor Weiss. She REALLY needs a break.
> 
> The secret is out! How will everyone react in the aftermath? Tune in next time to find out!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened to Ruby?  
> How is Penny involved?  
> What does it mean going forward?
> 
> The long night has ended, and its time for everyone to get some answers.

Ruby woke up and immediately groaned.

 _Why does everything hurt so much?_ She blinked repeatedly, trying to get her eyes to adjust to the bright lights over her. _Where am I?_

 _Last thing I remember, I was fighting some lady_ \- Ruby bolted upright as panic swept through her at the memory. _What happened? Did she get away-?_

“Ruby, calm down,” a sleepy voice said nearby. Ruby looked up and saw Penny rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. It looked as though she had been sleeping next to Ruby’s bed all night; she was in a chair next to the bedside, and there was a hospital blanket draped over her shoulders. “You are safe,” Penny added, moving closer to Ruby. She gently took Ruby’s hand in her own and ran her thumb over Ruby’s knuckles as Ruby attempted to calm herself with deep breaths.

“What happened? Is everyone-”

“Relax first,” Penny insisted. Ruby could feel warmth coming from Penny, though it seemed a bit strained. After a few moments, Ruby let herself settle back into the bed. “There you go,” Penny said with an uncertain smile. She squeezed Ruby’s hand before letting go to reach into her purse. “I’m going to text Aunt Winter. She will explain everything.”

Ruby nodded, not trusting herself to speak right now.

Several minutes later, the door to what Ruby assumed was her hospital room opened, and in walked Winter.

“We always seem to meet in the poorest of circumstances, Miss Rose," Winter said, pulling a chair to the foot of Ruby’s bed. “I’d like to spend some time with Penny’s friends outside of hospital rooms.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ruby replied automatically.

“How are you feeling?” Winter asked, looking Ruby up and down.

“Um, okay, I guess. Mostly confused. What happened last night?”

“What do you remember?”

“I was at the dance, and I saw a series of lights coming from the CCT tower,” Ruby began hesitantly. Penny laid a calming hand over Ruby’s, and Ruby continued with a sigh. “After calling for my weapon and ditching my heels, I got there and found a bunch of...dead and dying guards. It looked real serious, so I called the emergency line and left a text on my scroll before heading up. I found the intruder in the computer room, doing _something_ , and we fought. She was- she was going to kill me,” Ruby choked out with a sob. Penny’s hand squeezed hers tighter. “But something made her stop, and she blew a hole in the wall and left out of it. I don’t remember anything after that.”

“That is all similar to our forensic estimates of the situation and what little camera footage we were able to recover. And the last thing you recall is falling unconscious?”

“Yeah,” Ruby squirmed in her bed slightly, sensing that Winter was hoping for more and feeling ashamed that she wasn't able to deliver. “I remember feeling really upset about losing the fight and then...nothing. Why?”

Penny and Winter shared a meaningful look. _Well, that doesn’t look good._

“Do you recall hearing about Penny’s episode which happened while you were unconscious from Grimm poisoning?” Winter asked calmly.

“Yeah, Weiss said it was really scary watching you lose control like that.” Ruby cocked her head to the side in confusion. _What are they getting at? Why is she bringing this up now?_

“Well,” Winter began before sighing. “It happened again. But this time, _you_ lost control.”

“What? I- I don’t understand-”

“Ruby,” Penny interjected with a strained voice, “you became a Grimm last night. Just like I can.”

A stunned silence filled the room as Ruby processed this information.

“You had an altercation with your teammates, Headmaster Ozpin, and Penny. Thankfully, it only resulted in minor injuries for all involved except Weiss-” Winter explained.

“Is Weiss okay?!” Ruby interrupted, nearly shrieking in panic.

“She is going to be fine,” Winter continued, unfazed. “All you did was break her aura and bruise her ribs somewhat. She has already regained consciousness this morning, and has shown no signs of Grimm poisoning, even the kind that afflicted you.”

“So now I’m _whatever_ Penny is?” Ruby spat, gazing down at her hands in shock. From the corner of her eye she saw Penny flinch at her choice of words, but she was too upset to care.

“Now listen here, Miss Rose,” Winter ordered harshly, the shift in her tone bringing Ruby’s head up. Winter’s blue eyes bored into Ruby’s silver. “I understand you’re upset at your new circumstances, and that you have accidentally hurt one of your teammates. But I will not allow you to become spiteful because of that. An unforeseen situation has developed, and it is your duty as a leader, a huntress, and a _friend_ to handle it with understanding and kindness.” Winter narrowed her eyes at Ruby. “Or have I been hearing the praises of the wrong Ruby Rose?”

“I’m sorry, Ruby,” Penny spoke, her voice thick with emotion. “I never meant for any of this to happen.” She paused to swallow before adding quietly: “I’ll repeat what you said to me once: ‘You’re not a monster. Not to me.’ ”

Ruby collapsed back onto the bed, holding back tears as she gazed up at the ceiling. After a long moment filled only with the sound of her own ragged breathing, she croaked out: “What happens now?”

“The headmasters and their aides have decided that you will stay on the dreadnought for the next week, undergoing comparative evaluations with Penny to determine how similar your powers are, as well as receiving instruction on accessing and controlling your new powers,” Winter answered.

“Aren’t first-year missions next week?”

“You and your team have been given special dispensation for the circumstances, and your mission has been postponed until you are discharged from the dreadnought. As a final precaution, and to test your new abilities in the field, I will be your accompanying instructor.”

“Can I see my team?”

“You can’t receive visitors in person during your stay aboard, but there isn’t any ban on other forms of communication.”

“And homework?”

“You’re excused for the week.”

“When do we start?”

“Later today, after lunch at 1200 hours. It’s around 0900 right now. I had your team deliver you some fresh clothes. Penny, you should go change as well.”

Penny glanced back and forth between Winter and Ruby, her distress clear on her face. “Um, Ruby? Do...Do you want me to be around for your training?” Penny asked quietly.

Ruby considered. On the one hand, Penny had given her new abilities that she could use to help people. On the other, they had drawbacks - ones Ruby had already experienced.

“Yes,” her heart answered for her. She knew she wouldn’t last the next week without being able to lean on someone familiar. And even with the complicated situation surrounding Penny right now, the girl still somehow made Ruby feel comfortable and warm.

Penny smiled, and the grateful light in her eyes lifted Ruby’s spirits. She stood from her chair and left with Winter, their quiet conversation filtering through back the door as they walked away.

\----------------------------------

After lunch, Penny returned and took Ruby to a large training room within the dreadnought. A glowing grid of lines covered the room’s floor, walls, and ceiling, casting a faint blue glow over its inhabitants. _A modular training room. I’ve read about these._ Ciel, Pietro, and Winter were already standing near the center of the room.

“So, what’s first?” Ruby said when she reached the group.

“We’re going to start by teaching you about the most basic abilities Penny possesses. We’ll move towards more advanced techniques as the week progresses. We will also be experimenting along the way to investigate and record any differences between the two of you,” Pietro replied in a more business-like tone than Ruby was used to hearing from the man, expanding his scroll so it resembled a clipboard. _I guess it_ is _science time._

Pietro continued. “First, the passive abilities. You should know that you probably have enhanced healing abilities, but we’re not going to test those here. Our first test will be of your sensation and perception abilities. If you are similar to Penny, you should now be on par with the average Faunus.”

It turned out Pietro was right. Ruby couldn’t quite see in deep darkness like Penny could, but she definitely saw more than the other humans in the room could. Her hearing and sense of smell had gotten sharper as well.

After a small break, Pietro introduced a new set of tests. “Next is perhaps the most double-edged of Penny’s abilities: emotion sensing. You will be much more susceptible to the emotions of those around you, and to your own. Beacon will conduct a psychological screening in a month's time to determine what changes have occurred to your psyche, but for now we will cover the more active parts of the ability. Later this week we will address coping strategies,” Pietro informed Ruby.

Ruby nodded. Ever since she’d woken up she had noticed a certain... _aura_ , for lack of a better word, around people. She wasn’t suddenly any better at social interactions, but she was picking up on people’s cues more often.

They found that while Ruby did share Penny’s ability to sense emotions, Ruby wasn’t able to identify them well, particularly when multiple emotions were present simultaneously. Pietro surmised that this was because Penny had spent most of her life with this ability, and thus had more practice. 

Another way Ruby differed was that she didn’t feel others’ emotions as strongly as Penny indicated that she did. Penny ruefully told Ruby that that was probably for the best.

\----------------------------------

“We’re going to start slow with activating your Grimm energy,” Penny said at the start of the second day of training. “First we’re going to practice just activating it and holding it. The best way I can describe it is that it feels like aura, but you have to reach...deeper for it? than you do for aura. But after you find it once, it should become a lot easier.”

Luckily, Ruby thrived on metaphorical instructions, and by mid-afternoon she was able to generate and sustain a small amount of Grimm energy.

“This feels...weird,” Ruby noted, looking into a mirror. Her eyes glowed red instead of their normal silver, and small wisps of black smoke seemed to be emanating from her as she stood.

“You’re the first other than me to feel it. I don’t have a point of comparison, but I imagine it does feel odd,” Penny said hollowly. 

Penny had kept her distance since the dance. She hadn’t really been talking to Ruby, only speaking up when Ruby felt like she needed a more intuitive explanation of something.

Ruby decided to heed Winter’s words and reach out with kindness. She released the Grimm energy and walked towards Penny with more confidence than she truly felt. “Penny, I’ve appreciated you giving me space while I figure this out, but I miss just hanging out with you like normal.”

Penny sighed. “I’m sorry. Part of this is because we are technically doing military training and I want to maintain at least some professionalism. But the other part is-”

“-Just the same as the last time you accidentally hurt me,” Ruby finished. “This time certainly seems to have more strings attached than when I got sick, but there’s good parts too, you know? I mean, I got a bunch of cool new stuff I can do! Being able to feel people’s emotions will be great for search and rescue! And now our team has one and a half people who can see in the dark!”

Penny chuckled softly, blushing slightly as she held out her arms. Ruby took the invitation and embraced Penny, sending out as many comforting vibes as she could, and feeling Penny do the same in return. It felt _wonderful_ to bathe in each other’s warmth. 

After a minute, they separated with embarrassed smiles on their faces.

“I certainly won’t get tired of _that_ ,” Ruby said.

“Neither will I,” Penny replied.

\----------------------------------

After a small break during which the rest of team RWBY called in to see how their leader was faring, Ruby and her dreadnought crew began the next part of their training.

“An unfortunate side effect of using Grimm energy is that it depletes your aura slowly over the entire time it's active,” Penny explained. “Its effects are negligible when you have a lot, but once you start to get tired, you will start losing control over yourself. _Never_ try to use it when your aura is broken, or you will immediately lose control and enter your Grimm form. For right now, we will work on practicing movements while your energy is active.

“Just like aura, using Grimm energy will give you a physical boost. I like to call it the three muscles: your body’s normal capacity, the boost gained from aura, and the boost gained from Grimm energy. With enough practice, you should be able to use all three at once.”

“So that’s why you’re so strong,” Ruby murmured in wonder, before quickly becoming embarrassed at seeing Penny flush at the remark. _Forgot she has better hearing than I do._

“Well, ah, yes. Precisely. Anyway, let’s try some normal movements with Grimm energy active.”

As the day drew to a close, Ruby was able to keep her Grimm energy active while performing mildly strenuous tasks such as jogging or lifting weights. But when she tried more intense activities like sparring, her focus kept slipping.

One additional complication came up. While Penny was able to use aura and Grimm energy at the same time, Ruby couldn’t yet. Try as she might, she wasn’t able to keep both up at the same time, even without adding in any physical movement. 

The differences between Ruby and Penny were starting to add up to a confusing picture. But without any additional test subjects, they had no way of knowing if the discrepancies were just normal variation, or something that would go away with further practice, or another issue altogether.

“Perhaps this will make more sense with future tests, or when your blood work comes back,” Pietro said, thoughtfully stroking his beard.

\----------------------------------

The third and fourth days were spent practicing the Grimm state. Ruby made quick improvements to her overall ease in using it, and managed to lengthen the amount of time she could use it. Ciel was a great help here, explaining various circumstances that would lengthen or shorten Ruby’s overall limit, such as whether she was well-rested or how actively she was using the energy.

A more intense portion of the training began on the fifth day. As Ruby walked into the training room, she noticed that the room had been altered. There was now a large hard-light screen separating the room in two. On one side was Penny, and on the other was Ciel, Winter and Pietro.

“Today, we will work on having you transform into your Grimm form,” Pietro said solemnly, once Ruby was on the side with Penny. “Penny is here to guide you through the process as well as help restrain you in the event that you lose control. I’ll leave it to her to describe the particulars of the process. I will let you know that we’ve preemptively brought several pairs of replacement clothes should any incidents occur.”

Both of the girls blushed at the idea of Ruby’s clothes shredding. Penny regained her composure quickly and turned to Ruby.

“There are some key differences between turning uncontrollably and voluntarily. As you see” - Penny transformed her hand to illustrate her point - “my hand is simply cloaked in Grimm energy and solidifies when I am in control. When I am not in control, the energy changes me forcibly, which is both uncomfortable and painful. The side effect of ripping one's clothes is unfortunate but obviously one of the least concerning in that situation.”

“What happens to your clothes when you transform?” Ruby had wondered that since meeting Penny.

“As far as I can tell, they vanish underneath my Grimm body. I’m certainly not wearing any while I’m in Grimm form. This has the benefit of letting me keep all of my possessions on me without having to worry about them, but it means I can’t get to any of them, either.” Penny gestured to the backpack she was wearing that contained her weapon, Floating Array. “The exception is Floating Array, but I’ll explain why later.”

“For now, I’m going to show you my Grimm form.” Penny stepped back and transformed fully, black mist enveloping her as she grew.

Before Ruby stood what could best be described as a more solid-looking Geist. Her arms were solid; her cloak wasn’t as tattered as a normal Geist’s, and she had legs in addition to the usual shoulder spikes and bony face plate of the type. However, the most striking thing was-

“Your eye is green,” Ruby gasped. Instead of the usual red or yellow eyes of the Grimm, Penny’s had a soft green glow.

“Yes,” Penny said, clapping her hands together. Her voice was deeper in this form, and slightly distorted, but it was very clearly still Penny. “When I am in control, my eye is the same color as it normally is. Your eyes should also stay silver if you transform successfully.”

“So how do I do that?”

“Go back to thinking of Grimm energy as aura, but deeper. Try to activate it in the way you would activate your semblance instead. Up to this point, we’ve basically just been generating the Grimm equivalent of a normal aura. Now, you are trying to _channel_ it. Transforming completely should be easier than a partial transformation, as odd as that sounds, so we’ll start there. And don’t worry about losing control,” Penny added reassuringly. “We’re all here to help keep you and everyone else safe.”

“Okay, I think I got it. One more question first. You said Floating Array is special - why?”

Ruby watched as a wreath of blades seemed to emerge straight from Penny’s back before floating in place behind her. A single dagger floated towards Ruby, handle first. When Ruby looked at it more closely, she saw a faint black wisp coming from the dagger.

“The reason I can control my weapon so well isn’t because of aura or Dust. It’s because each piece of it contains a broken-off bone spike from me.” Ruby looked up in surprise, and noticed for the first time that several places on Penny’s shoulder that should have full spikes were instead simply small nubs of bone. “We’re not sure exactly why the pieces stick around, even after I turn back, but they work as if they are still part of my body. And don’t worry - most of those came off in training.”

At Penny’s reassurance, Ruby let go of the tension she didn’t recognize she had been holding.

“Oh. My. _Gosh_. Your weapon is _literally_ a part of you! That’s so cool! What kind of casing did you use to-” Ruby cut short her excited rambling, remembering where she was. “I have so many questions, but I’ll ask them later. I’m ready to try transforming.”

\----------------------------------

It took until the early evening for Ruby to achieve a transformation. Unfortunately, the sensation of her entire body shifting was far too much for her, and she immediately lost control on her first try.

After several more attempts, and some awkwardness all around as Ruby had to replace her clothes multiple times, she finally managed a controlled transformation for the first time.

 _Feels weird_ , Ruby thought, looking at herself in a mirror. _Not Beowolf?_ She looked her new body up and down.

While she had the normal shape and patterns of the Beowolf, that was just about where the visual similarities ended. Her tail was longer, and segmented with bony cuffs. It ended with a small tuft of fur, and overall appeared much more like a spinal cord than a typical wolf-tail. Her body was leaner and covered in more bone plates than Ruby had ever seen on a Beowolf, even an Alpha. The bone formations that merely suggested the appearance of a ribcage on a normal Beowolf were thicker and fuller than usual on her, and she could see them connect to the row of spines on her back so that they formed an actual ribcage. She had small plates covering her joints at her hips and shoulders, and the distinct arm spikes common on Valean Beowolves had instead combined into one solid, curved blade on each arm. Perhaps most strikingly, instead of a haunting crimson, her eyes had retained their silver hue just like Penny had said they would.

“It seems that much like Penny, you are a variant,” Pietro stated, looking through his notes. “Ah-ha! You appear to be a Gytrash, a rare variant from Vacuo. You should be faster and more heavily armored than an average Valean Beowolf, but you will lack their power and stamina, it seems.”

Ruby huffed affirmatively as she digested the information. _Just like normal._

Ruby turned as she felt a wave of emotion coming from her right. Penny was in her human form, and was looking up at her with glistening green eyes. Ruby focused on identifying the emotions coming from her friend, and realized with embarrassment what they were: _Love, Pride, Acceptance_.

Ruby’s tail twitched restlessly, before her human and Grimm halves reached an agreement on their next plan of action. She pounced on Penny, knocking her over and pinning her to the ground with her forelimbs as her head reached down towards Penny’s neck.

“Penny!” Winter yelled. Ruby heard a sword being drawn.

“Wait! Her eyes are still silver,” Ciel said firmly.

The scene froze as Ruby gazed down at Penny, whose face began to flush as _different_ emotions rose to the surface. Ruby let them wash over her as she brought her face down to nuzzle Penny’s cheek. Penny gasped in surprise at the affectionate gesture, raising her hands to stroke Ruby’s bony muzzle as Ruby continued her ministrations, lowering her body to gently rest on top of Penny’s.

“I think we should let them be alone,” Pietro said with an awkward smile, moving to usher the two other young women out of the training room. “They’ve had a long week.”

“But security protocol-” Winter began before she was interrupted by Ciel.

“I can assure you, Specialist, they won’t be hurting each other anytime soon.”

Winter relaxed and allowed herself to be led out of the room.

The sound of the training room door closing broke the two girls out of their spell as they rapidly realized how awkward everything they just did was.

Ruby lost her focus and undid her transformation. Now that her human form was lying on top of Penny’s, her blush deepened so much that she was worried steam was coming off of her. Ruby awkwardly rolled off of Penny and the two girls slowly sat up on the floor, their eyes never moving from each other throughout.

“So, what brought that on?” Penny asked coyly, her fingers tracing an abstract pattern on Ruby’s shoulder. Her other hand held onto Ruby’s snugly.

“Well, I-I just felt what you did,” Ruby stammered. “And then I did what felt right.”

“I know what you mean,” Penny said with a smile. She paused for a moment, biting her lip while she considered what to say. _Anticipation, worry._ “Can I do something else that feels right?”

“Yes,” Ruby answered breathlessly. 

Penny leaned forward, bringing her face closer to Ruby’s. She hovered momentarily just inches away from Ruby, silently asking for permission again. Ruby nodded, and sent out feelings of trust to Penny.

Penny took the invitation and brought her lips to Ruby’s.

Neither of them needed to use their Grimm abilities to figure out how the other felt in that moment.

They just knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter ended up alright. Describing a training montage is quite hard, it turns out. I originally was going to structure this chapter almost exclusively from Pietro’s POV and have it read much like an SCP entry, but Ruby’s POV ended up being more consistent and easier.
> 
> Yes, transforming into a Grimm is basically Wild Shape. You got me.
> 
> Yay, Ruby’s Grimm form is fully revealed! I thought about making her just a normal Alpha Beowolf, but the idea of coming up with more variants is just too fun.
> 
> The Gytrash (or Guytrash) is one of the Black Dogs of England. They’re an odd bunch, typically large black dogs that serve as portents of death (serving as the basis for JKR’s Grimm, for instance - devil curse that woman). Gytrash, however, is known for sometimes being helpful and guiding lost people. These creatures are very locally famous. Gytrash itself even appears in Jane Eyre!
> 
> I’ve had a fondness for the beasties since one first appeared in Gunnerkrigg Court many years ago (I’d highly recommend checking it out).
> 
> Also, some discussion of WereGrimm mechanics! I hope this was a mostly organic way to discuss in general what Penny, and now Ruby, can do. This is the first “infodump” regarding their abilities, with more to come later~
> 
> The kissing scene really got away from me. It was originally just going to be Ruby pouncing on Penny for Gay Tension(TM), but honestly, I really enjoyed where the characters were taking me so I let them do their thing.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their kiss, Ruby and Penny have a talk.
> 
> As training winds down, the group discovers something that may change how they see the Grimm forever.

Penny could scarcely believe what was happening, but she didn’t want this moment to end. She and Ruby were sitting embracing on the floor as they kissed, losing all sense of time and space as they focused on each other.

Some time later, the two pulled apart and Penny basked in the open wash of affection and love that was pouring from Ruby. From the look on Ruby’s face, she was feeling similar emotions from Penny.

“I-,” Penny started to say, but further words just refused to come out. Ruby giggled and looked at Penny fondly.

“It’s okay,” Ruby said, stroking Penny’s arm. “Words are hard.”

Penny took a moment to compose herself before continuing. “I really liked that.”

“I know,” Ruby said with a dopey smile.

“Hush, you,” Penny said, punctuating the statement with a soft jab at Ruby’s shoulder. “So what- what does this make us?”

“What do you want?” Ruby asked, tilting her head and continuing to smile.

“I want-” Penny couldn’t get the words to come out. The place Ruby had in her heart seemed so immense and so beyond description that her current flustered state couldn’t think of even the simplest label for it.

“Do you want to be girlfriends?” Ruby suggested, her voice calm despite a rising blush.

“I suppose that’s accurate, yes,” Penny nodded.

“What label were you thinking of?” Ruby teased, poking Penny in the side.

“All I could think of was ‘lovers,’ but-” Penny couldn’t finish the thought as both of their brains short-circuited from the surge of arousal from each of them.

“Let’s, uh, shelve that one,” Ruby said quickly.

“A-Agreed,” Penny stammered back, before quickly adding: “Girlfriend Ruby.”

After getting dinner together, they spent the rest of the evening in Ruby’s room, idly chatting as they watched a movie. They fell asleep in each other’s arms on the couch, as the feelings of safety and comfort enveloped them.

\----------------------------------

Ruby woke up to light on her face. She took a moment to regain her bearings. She remembered that she had been cuddling with Penny on the couch in Ruby’s guest room, watching a movie.

She felt something stir on top of her, and when she looked down she saw Penny’s face resting on her chest, their bodies intertwined underneath a blanket. She smiled fondly. _She’s my girlfriend,_ Ruby thought, barely able to resist squeezing Penny tighter. _I don’t want to disturb her. I’ll let her sleep a little more._

 _Amusement, embarrassment._ “I take it that something happened between you two last night?” Winter said calmly from her place next to the window. Ruby jumped, accidentally dislodging Penny from her resting place.

Penny panicked and grabbed onto Ruby, pulling them both onto the floor.

“What’s going on?” Penny asked in a daze, looking up at Ruby as they moved to a seated position.

“Uhhhhh, nothing _happened_ , uh, ma’am,” Ruby stammered, a blush heating up her face as Penny interlaced their fingers. Penny turned towards Winter, her eyes still blinking away the night’s sleep before shooting wide open in recognition.

“Mo- Aunt Winter!”

“Perhaps I should have made my presence known in a less abrupt manner, but I found myself unwilling to wrest you from slumber.” Winter said with a knowing smile. “I assume your relationship has evolved to include romance?” The blushing teenagers in front of her provided all the answer Winter needed. Besides, despite their rude awakening, they had yet to separate from each other.

Both Penny and Ruby opened their mouths to reply, but Winter cut them off with a wave of her hand. “It’s not my place to comment on your personal involvements, Penny. But for what it’s worth, I approve.”

“Oh, thanks,” Ruby said in surprise as Penny pulled closer to her.

“Now, it is past 0900 hours, so you are both late for training. I expect you both to be at the training room by 1000 sharp.” Winter said as she walked towards the door, closing it gently behind her.

Ruby and Penny looked at each other.

“I’m glad she likes me now,” Ruby said quietly, thinking back to Winter’s rebuke at the beginning of the week.

“I don’t think she ever stopped. She was just worried. We all were,” Penny replied in a similar tone. “How did you sleep?”

“Good. I had a _really_ nice blanket,” Ruby said with a small teasing smile.

“Oh! Uh,” Penny stammered as a blush took over her face. “You were very comfortable, Girlfriend Ruby.”

Ruby pulled her girlfriend into her arms and squeezed her tightly before sighing. “We should get ready,” she said reluctantly.

“Agreed,” Penny said with an emphatic nod before pulling away from Ruby’s embrace. “One thing first,” she added with a smile, moving back in to kiss Ruby on the top of her head. “See you soon.”

And with that, Penny left.

\----------------------------------

The sixth day, after a late start, was largely spent on lengthening the amount of time Ruby could stay in her Grimm form, as well as determining what capabilities it had. While her Grimm body was much faster than her human form, either on its own or augmented with aura or Grimm energy, it still didn’t hold a candle to the speed and precision she could achieve with her semblance. Much like with the earlier Grimm energy test, once she transformed, she was unable to access her aura or semblance, but her sensory abilities increased dramatically from her human form.

The last thing they discovered really took the cake, though.

“Alright, Ruby, you seem pretty comfortable with your transformation now,” Penny said, clapping her hands excitedly. “You deserve a break.”

Ruby sat down on the floor and huffed. She wanted to keep going.

“Don’t you huff at me,” Penny said in a faux-irritated voice. In the next instance, her voice shifted. “ **Take a break**.”

Ruby instantly felt a compulsion wash over her, and she obliged, lying down and sprawling out her limbs.

 _Why did I do that?_ she thought to herself.

Her Grimm self had the answer. _Sire commanded._

 **Sire?! What?** Ruby thought in response to her darker self.

“Sire? What do you mean, Sire?” Penny asked, her head tilting in confusion.

“Penny, what are you talking about? No one said anything,” Pietro answered, looking up from compiling his notes.

“Ruby just said something.” Penny couldn’t conceal the disbelieving look on her face. Even in her Grimm form, Ruby’s silver eyes were wide with surprise as well.

“We’ve heard you speak out loud in your Grimm form before,” Pietro began, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

“So why am I the only one hearing her right now?” Penny asked, continuing to look at Ruby.

 **Don’t know, sorry,** Ruby mentally apologized.

“It’s not your fault, Ruby,” Penny said, before flinching and turning to the group of assembled humans. “You couldn’t hear that either?” she asked slowly, watching the others shake their heads. “You should turn back, Ruby.”

Ruby obliged the request, but this time, it didn’t have the same sense of overwhelming pressure to it. “That was...weird,” Ruby said after a small pause. “It was like, I was thinking, but just extra loud, you know?”

“Are you saying you inadvertently broadcast your thoughts? Why couldn’t we hear you, then?” Winter responded.

“Because you aren’t like me. You don’t have Grimm powers,” Penny said in sudden realization. “Let me try.” She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

Somewhere inside of Ruby’s mind, Penny’s voice appeared. **Can you hear me, Ruby?** it said.

 **Yes I can,** Ruby thought back.

The pair looked at each other in astonishment. “We could hear each other,” Penny said slowly.

“To us, you said nothing,” Winter affirmed.

“I wonder if this ability applies to all Grimm, and not just yourselves,” Pietro said. “We should run some further tests.”

They found that even across the testing room from each other, the pair could communicate silently through their thoughts alone. With quite a bit of extra effort, they were even able to send small visual elements. The connection was much more stable while both were in their Grimm forms, but had the downside of being more Grimm-energy intensive. Regardless of their state, communication required more focus the farther away they were.

“Think of the applications for this,” Pietro said with a nearly manic grin. “Completely secret messages could be relayed across the battlefield in an instant, with no need for dedicated scrolls or microphones.”

“Or a spy could be almost undetectable,” Winter said with a grimace. “This information should be classified. We _do not_ want this kind of ability in the hands of our enemies.” The group nodded at that sobering thought. This new discovery was all fun and games when two teenagers were using their abilities to play telephone. It could be _much worse_.

“I have one last question,” Ciel spoke up. The group turned to her. Ruby noticed that she had somewhat faded into the background during the whole testing period; Pietro oversaw the scientific aspects, Winter ran the military drills, and Penny supplied the subject expertise, leaving little for Ciel to do.

Now that Penny was her girlfriend, Ruby resolved to spend more time with Ciel. _I can’t just steal her partner away from her, even if I kinda want to._ “What started this whole line of questioning was Penny reacting to something Ruby said in Grimm-speech. You said the word ‘sire’. Why did that come up?”

All eyes turned to Ruby, who suddenly blushed furiously. “I, uh, well, you see-” Ruby let out a gigantic and dramatic sigh, nearly collapsing on herself before standing back upright. She took a deep breath and started over. Despite her efforts to calm herself, her words still slightly blurred together: “Penny told me to take a break, and I didn’t want to. But then I think Penny told me to take a break with both her Grimm and human voice and that got me to sit down. It felt like I _had_ to? Then I was curious about why I instantly obeyed like that, and my instincts told me that “Sire commanded,” so I repeated that and I guess that was in my Grimm voice and yeah, now we’re here.”

Like a conversational tennis match, the focus of the assembled group moved back to Pietro. “Scholars have theorized that Grimm subconsciously follow the will of the older Grimm around them. But with this new information about how Grimm might communicate, perhaps it would be more wise to place this behavior somewhere between instinct and following orders. Could we try a few tests?”`

\----------------------------------

Once testing had ended, Pietro spent a small amount of time organizing his copious notes; the rest of the team took the opportunity for a short break. When they reconvened, he began his overview. 

“Putting our test results together with self-reported data from the both of you, as well as the others present at the site of Ruby’s first transformation, we find that Penny, the ‘Sire,’ can influence the actions of Ruby, the ‘Scion,’ to some extent by merely using Grimm speech. These orders do not affect Ruby’s thoughts, feelings, or any deeply held beliefs; those beliefs then insulate her from performing actions that would go against them. Penny is capable of controlling what is and is not an order, but there seems to be some sort of gray area. In addition, Ruby cannot order Penny whatsoever. We theorize that it is through this link Penny sensed that Ruby was in danger several nights ago, in addition to knowing her general location.”

Pietro took a dramatic pause before concluding: “In the span of one afternoon, you girls may have uncovered secrets of the Grimm that have been eluding scholars for centuries.” His face split into a huge grin, his voice losing its clinical, scientific tone for the first time all week. He just sounded like a proud father now, his tone full of warmth. “Take the rest of the night off and order whatever you’d like from the kitchens. Gods know you girls deserve it.”

“Thank you, Father,” Penny said, giving Pietro a hug before grabbing Ruby’s arm and pulling her away from the group.

“Don’t get too carried away!” he called after them, causing general laughter as the research crew split up and headed towards their respective evening activities.

\----------------------------------

The seventh day didn’t involve training at all, which surprised Ruby. She had thought there would be some sort of finale or graduation test, but the last day was spent learning instead.

Most of her day was spent with Doctor Bole, who she learned was Penny’s therapist. They spent the first part of the day getting to know each other, with Doctor Bole asking Ruby background questions about how she grew up, or times she had experienced stress in her life.

They ended up with a list of triggers. Some things were easy to talk about, like failure, or a teammate getting injured. Others, like her mother, were harder to discuss. Doctor Bole then walked Ruby through some methods for managing her reactions to these stimuli.

“You are going to be more sensitive to emotions now that you have Penny’s abilities,” Doctor Bole had said. “This means both your own and others. It is going to be hard work to make sure that they do not end up controlling you. But even though your emotions may feel stronger now, learning to manage them and understand yourself through them is part of what makes you human. Indeed, this is a challenge that everyone must deal with, whether they are gifted with your abilities or not. Fundamentally, you are not alone. You must remember that.”

At the end of the session, Ruby felt simultaneously exhausted and energized, like she had been walking with a large weight on her back only to have it removed. _I can see why Dad is waiting to find a qualified huntsman therapist. This felt great._

\----------------------------------

“Before we clear you to leave, we have one final thing to go over: your blood tests,” Pietro said. They had gathered in Ruby’s guest room after dinner for privacy.

“Well, at least I can’t fail this test, right?” Ruby replied nervously. She had no idea what to expect. Penny laid a comforting hand on top of hers and squeezed gently.

“It’s alright, Ruby, relax,” Pietro said reassuringly, slipping back into his fatherly voice for a moment. “It’s not much to go over.” He pulled out his scroll and tapped it in the direction of the TV in the room. Displays of medical charts and graphs flickered onto the screen. “We are limited in what medical information we are able to obtain. X-rays and other non-invasive forms of imagery have yielded little data with Penny, so we decided not to subject you to them either. We did request for Beacon’s medical staff to share any future data with us after your next physical or injury, just in case. Your blood work, on the other hand, is both fascinating and hard to explain.

“We found some trace exotic elements in your blood that have been found in only one other person: Penny. Much like the elements inside Penny, we were unable to determine much about their composition, as they rapidly decay once they are outside of your aura. To the naked eye, they appear similar to Grimm poison, but they do not appear to be harming you. Additionally, you appear to have a smaller concentration of these elements than Penny does.

“We believe your initial bout of sickness was essentially an aura-based transplant rejection. Your body was attempting to reject the foreign Grimm contaminants, but it became integrated into your body instead. It’s possible you could have fought off the infection entirely, but we don’t know for certain. Successive samples over the past few days have shown that your inflammation has gone down as you grow more accustomed to using Grimm energy.”

“I will leave you with access to the file containing this information, though for security reasons, I ask that you do not share it. This final presentation concludes the training and observation period for you, Ruby,” he finished with a smile.

“Thanks for all your help, Doctor Pietro. And I had a much better time than I thought I would,” Ruby admitted, lacing her fingers with Penny’s.

“I’m sure you have,” Pietro said with a wink, as the room dissolved into embarrassed laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Addressing consent, vis-a-vis Sire commands. I’m flavoring this to work somewhat like charm monster/dominate person from DnD/Pathfinder. Obviously, Penny is a nice girl and won’t order Ruby to do anything she wouldn’t want to. A more controlling person in Penny’s position might, with enough repetition and intense manipulation, be able to influence Ruby to take actions she wouldn’t otherwise.
> 
> Much like any parent, how much control a Sire has over their Scion is dependent on their relationship to them.
> 
> I think Ruby does find it “easy” to talk about failure - at least in the abstract. I envision her as a growth-mindset oriented person. While certainly distressing in the moment, I don’t think setbacks, particularly in areas she cares about, would dampen her enthusiasm to learn and grow.
> 
> After this we’ll have some small scenes about how the rest of Team RWBY is doing, but then it’s the Mountain Glenn arc. Buckle up, kids.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rest of Team RWBY recover during Ruby's training week.
> 
> Or at least, they try to.

Weiss woke up slowly, voices fading into her consciousness.

“...and then - shit, she’s waking up.” _Was that Yang?_

“How are you feeling, Weiss?” _That was definitely Blake._

She blearily opened her eyes and was greeted by concerned looks from her teammates, who were seated around her bed. She was in Beacon’s infirmary. She tried to sit up, but immediately collapsed back into the bed with a wince.

“Careful, Princess. You bruised your ribs,” Yang said softly.

“I see,” Weiss replied hesitantly. Her voice came out in a croak, and she suddenly realized how dry her throat was. Blake quickly fetched her a glass of water while Yang eased her into a more upright position, arranging some extra pillows for support. 

Weiss took the water and sipped it slowly, taking a minute to compose herself before asking. When she felt ready to continue speaking, she asked: “How long was I out?”

“Not very long. A few hours,” Blake answered.

“And Ruby?” 

Weiss’s question made the other two share a look before Yang shrugged. “We don’t really know. Ozpin said he’d stop by later to explain.”

“Indeed I did, Miss Xiao Long.” The trio of students turned to see their headmaster standing in the doorway. “How are you feeling, Miss Schnee?”

“Fine enough, I guess,” Weiss answered.

“You have several bruised ribs from when your aura broke, but those should heal completely within the next several days,” Ozpin continued. “I’m assuming you all have questions from last night?” The trio of students nodded slowly. “Well, quite frankly, so do we. Because of the” - Ozpin paused for a moment - “ _security_ issues surrounding Miss Polendina’s abilities and the newfound discovery that she might be able to gift those abilities to others, we have placed the two of them under limited quarantine for the next week.”

Yang immediately opened her mouth to object, a stormy look on her face, but Ozpin stopped her with a raise of his hand. “I’ll have you know that this decision was not made lightly, and was in fact a compromise between myself and General Ironwood, facilitated by Specialist Schnee.”

Yang settled down. Although she still seemed somewhat disgruntled, Ozpin was apparently satisfied by her change in demeanor. He turned back to the rest of the room with a slight cough.

“To continue: Miss Rose will be placed under observation for one week, during which she will also have her new capabilities assessed and trained. After the week is completed, she will return to you safe and sound. Her schoolwork has been waived for the week, and Specialist Schnee has volunteered to be your instructor for the first-year mission, which your team will undertake slightly later than your classmates in order to accommodate this change to your leader’s schedule. Any questions?”

“I have one,” Blake said, clearly fighting the urge to raise her hand. “If Ruby can become a Grimm now, and it started from Penny accidentally hurting her, does that mean Weiss might be able to as well?”

“We’ve considered that possibility. Despite what little knowledge we have of both Miss Polendina’s condition _and_ the mechanism by which she gifted her abilities to Miss Rose, we have no reason to believe that Miss Schnee has been affected the same way. Miss Rose displayed signs of an atypical Grimm poisoning for several days before the events of last night. In contrast, we have screened Miss Schnee and found no trace of Grimm in her system whatsoever. We’ll still keep you under watch, of course, but you will be free to leave tomorrow once your ribs have healed sufficiently for movement. Any further information will be sent to you via the campus mail system, and in fact, your inboxes should already contain the details of all that I’ve told you thus far, for you to review at your leisure."

Ozpin paused and looked around the room. “Anything else?”

“That will be all, sir,” Weiss said with a shake of her head, her teammates murmuring similarly.

“Good day, Team RWBY. Let me know if you need anything,” Ozpin said with a small smile, before leaving and closing the door behind him.

\----------------------------------

By mid-afternoon, Weiss was left alone in the sun-drenched infirmary room. Yang had grown bored of sitting in the infirmary and dragged Blake off to do some _sparring._ Weiss was so accustomed to Yang’s innuendos at this point that she was honestly unsure if Yang was inviting Blake to do explicit acts or if it was truly just a suggestion to work off some steam. _And now even my own explanation sounds dirty. She’s clearly a bad influence._

Her grumblings about the state of Yang’s mind were interrupted by a group of visitors coming in to see her. Jaune handed her a gift basket, and the rest of his team filed in behind him.

“Um, thank you,” Weiss mumbled out. “I’m not sure my injuries were that severe, but this is appreciated.”

“It’s not just for the injuries,” Jaune said, rubbing his neck sheepishly.

“You also helped us all get together!” Nora said, jumping into the air. “Well, not _all_ together-together but you know what I mean!” Her outburst brought blushes to Pyrrha and Ren’s faces.

“I did?” Weiss was thoroughly confused. _How did I matchmake here? I certainly didn’t follow Yang’s advice and lock them in a closet._

“After you talked to Jaune, he came to me and we had a long talk about ourselves,” Pyrrha supplied, slipping her hand into Jaune’s.

“A couple of those talks, later, and well,” Jaune let out a chuckle before raising their combined hands. “This happened.”

“And then I saw Jaune and Pyrrha making moves, and I thought to myself ‘well if those two morons can figure it out, maybe I can!’” Nora squealed happily, wrapping her arm around Ren’s waist.

“She was quite - uh - bold,” Ren said with an embarrassed chuckle, while Pyrrha and Jaune blanched, clearly sharing some kind of awkward reminiscence. _Okay, definitely not wanting a follow-up there._

“So, because I was kind of a jerk to you, and you kinda made us all figure out our feelings, and you got hurt, we got you this,” Jaune finished with a small smile. Weiss gave the basket’s contents a cursory survey, enough to know that she liked what she saw: small notes hidden among Atlesian snacks, hair ties, and lotion, among other things.

“I- I don’t know what to say,” Weiss said finally, just barely failing to keep the slight tremor of emotion out of her voice.

Pyrrha smiled gently and placed a hand on Weiss’s shoulder. “You don’t need to say anything.”

“Enjoy the gift and we’ll be happy!” Nora exclaimed with a bright smile on her face.

“Thank you.”

\----------------------------------

A day later, with Weiss back from the hospital and classes starting back up soon, the three remaining members of team RWBY were all engrossed in various leisure activities after a long day of studying. Blake was taking the time to indulge one of her favorite past-times, reading a thinly-disguised volume of _Ninjas of Love_ , when her scroll pinged from a notification.

“Hey, Ruby wants to video chat with us,” Blake called out to the team.

“Really? It’s only been a day since she woke up. Guess she misses us,” Yang shrugged, pausing the game she was playing on her scroll.

Weiss responded with a sigh, primly rising from her desk and making her way to sit down beside Blake as they got ready for the group call.

Blake’s scroll began to vibrate again, and Ruby’s contact appeared onscreen. Blake quickly answered the call. 

“Hey guys! Can you hear me alright? Never made a call from an Atlas Airship before,” Ruby asked, head tilted to the side.

“We can hear you just fine, Rubles. What’s up?” Yang responded.

“I just wanted to show you guys what I can do so far, before I forgot to,” Ruby said sheepishly as Yang gave her a knowing look. Blake knew from Yang that Ruby was terrible at keeping in contact with people.

“Well, lay it on us, little sis,” Yang replied with a fond chuckle.

“Okay! Lemme think, where to start - oh! Apparently I’ll heal faster but we haven’t tested that. I can sense emotions like Penny can, but I’m not as good at it yet. And my senses are better now! Not as good as a Faunus’s but better than an average human’s.”

“Let me know if you need help adjusting to the increased sensations - it can be jarring to say the least,” Blake responded. It was something most Faunus had to go through at one point or another, particularly those that lived among the less sensitive humans.

“Could you? It’d be a big help.”

“I’ll send you the resources I can.”

“Sweet! Thanks, Blake. And one more thing I can do: I’ve learned how to use Grimm energy.”

“Grimm energy?” Yang asked.

“Yeah, it’s like a second aura, but just for me and Penny. We don’t really have a better way to explain it. Apparently it’s the key to a lot of Penny’s other abilities, like her strength or transformations, but all I’ve got so far is how to turn it on and off.”

“You know showing is better than telling,” Yang said with a smirk.

“Sure, give me a second.” Ruby closed her eyes, seemingly deep in focus. Blake noticed small wisps of smoke coiling around Ruby, making it look like she was surrounded by dissolving Grimm. After several seconds, Ruby opened her eyes to reveal glowing blood-red irises. “So yeah, this is what using Grimm energy looks like.”

“Look at you, copying your sister!” Yang said with a big grin on her face.

Ruby looked confused, and the smokey aura dissipated as her eyes transitioned back to their usual silver form. “What do you mean?”

“You can make your eyes red, _dummy_.” Yang emphasized the final word with a flare of her semblance, turning her own eyes red.

“Oh right! Yeah! Red eye power!” Ruby mimed a high-five through the camera, and Yang returned the gesture.

“Ruby, it’s time to get back to work,” Penny’s voice said from offscreen.

“Really? Alright,” Ruby said with a slight pout. “Back to work, guys. I’ll text you updates, at the very least.”

“Bye, Ruby,” Yang and Blake called out in unison, and Blake ended the call.

“Well, it sounds like she’s getting a handle on things,” Blake said cautiously, worried about how Yang was taking Ruby’s absence.

“I’m just glad it seems like she’s not beating herself up about it too much,” Yang agreed with a sigh. “Are you okay, Weiss? You didn’t say a word the whole call.”

“I didn’t want to,” Weiss retorted from Blake’s left side.

“What were you thinking about?” Yang asked, any lingering worries about Ruby seemingly eclipsed by the rare sight of Weiss’s brimming eyes.

“Ruby’s going to know,” Weiss answered simply.

“Know what?” Yang gently prompted.

“She can sense emotions now, she’ll figure out how I feel, and- and-” Weiss cut herself off as the tears spilled over onto her face. Her two teammates moved to her sides to comfort her.

“We’ll figure it out,” Blake said soothingly, stroking small circles on Weiss’s upper back.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Yang added, pulling the pair into a gentle hug.

\----------------------------------

Weiss was sitting in front of a checklist, making sure her supplies would be in order for their first-year mission in several days, when Yang abruptly started laughing hysterically at something on her scroll.

Weiss rolled her eyes and leaned back from her desk with a dramatic sigh. “And what, pray tell, is so funny?”

Yang wiped a tear from her eye before turning to Weiss. “Just this video Penny sent me. Wanna see it?”

Weiss shrugged. Her stomach clenched at the mention of her romantic rival, but she was determined not to let it show on her face. “Why not?”

Yang walked over to Weiss’s desk and placed her scroll in front of the two of them. “Here, just press play-”

“I know how to work a scroll, Yang!” Weiss waved her off before turning on the video.

The video started with Penny standing in a nearly featureless glowing blue room - _of course they’re training in a modular room -_ holding some sort of disc in her hands. She moved in to check the camera, giving Weiss a close-up view of her face.

Penny was _glowing_ with joy. Weiss was genuinely shocked at how great the contrast was from the last time she had seen Penny. It was hard to believe that the beaming girl before her had worn a look of such despair several nights ago. Weiss noted with some discomfort that she was feeling heartbreak and a slight warmth simultaneously at the sight of her. She shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts, and refocused on the screen.

“Okay, we’re all set,” Penny said to herself, before standing back from the camera once more. “ **Fetch!** ” she yelled, throwing the disc into the distance. Weiss and Yang heard a heavy padding tread from somewhere offscreen; the source of the sound soon emerged into the camera’s view.

Ruby’s Grimm form sped up into an easy lope and chased the disc across the room, leaping to catch it in her mouth before bringing it back to Penny like an obedient dog. She dropped the disc at Penny’s feet before her glowing silver eyes shot wide open in realization and Ruby turned back into a person, launching herself at Penny with an embarrassed cry. The video cut out after that.

“Ahahahahaha! She got Ruby to play _fetch_! I can’t wait to try out some new jokes on her when she gets back! Or, wait, would that be racist? I know Blake doesn’t like cat jokes too much-” 

Weiss didn’t hear anything further, either because Yang had stopped talking or Weiss had stopped listening.

All Weiss could think about was the night of the dance. She had run out into the dark, following a distraught Penny, to find a monster that everyone else claimed was Ruby. She had been unconscious when Ruby switched back, and on some core level, she never quite believed the others.

But now she had proof, and Ruby had taken on the form of her nightmares.

The long legs, the padding feet, the glowing eyes, the sharp teeth- all coming to get her, to rip apart the Schnee heiress, to show her how a _real_ bitch would be treated by the White Fang.

 _The teeth the teeth the teeth_ -

“Weiss? Weiss!” a voice cried out. Strong arms held onto her as she flailed, trying to get away from her captors. She fell to the floor but the cloying embrace followed her. _Just another foot, and I’ll be safe in the closet. No one will find me there, Mother said so._

_They can’t hurt me again._

“Weiss, it’s Yang. Listen to the sound of my voice.” But why would she listen? The voices were just there to mock her, to laugh at her suffering. She was just a lonely Schnee, after all.

“C’mon, Snowflake, I need you to _breathe_ -” Ah, the SDC. The only reason anyone ever interacted with her.

“Weiss, please, please breathe for me.” The voice sounded sad now, almost desperate. Weiss’s eyes were closed tightly, but beyond the crushing darkness surrounding her, no pain was coming to her. Maybe the voice could be trusted? It sounded oddly warm, even though clearly in distress.

“That’s better, just breathe while I count. One, two, three-” Weiss followed the commands of the voice, the world’s dark intensity fading as air came in and out of her.

Eventually, after what seemed like years, she felt safe enough to open her eyes. The world seemed brighter than usual, her eyes registering blurry swaths of yellow and orange across her vision as she looked at the voice.

Yang Xiao Long. Her teammate.

As she blinked to focus on the bright colors, Weiss dully realized that she had been crying - and it had been an ugly cry, at that. Her entire face felt hot save for the wet patches down her cheeks and under her nostrils, and her eyelids felt almost painfully puffy. 

Yang looked into her eyes with sadness and compassion. It looked like she had been crying as well. “You... scared me, Weiss.” She held her water bottle up to Weiss’s lips, who drank first in cautious sips, then greedy gulps as her body demanded to replace the water it had just lost. When Weiss was able to hold the bottle in her own shaky hands, Yang reached up and grabbed a tissue box from the desk they were sitting by and let Weiss begin to clean herself up somewhat. Yang kept up some sort of soothing touch the entire time - rubbing slow circles into Weiss’s back, lightly stroking her upper arm, resting a hand on top of Weiss’s own.

Weiss finished her ministrations, leaned back with a heavy sigh, and finally met Yang’s gaze with her usual steadiness. 

“Would you be able to tell me what happened?” Yang asked slowly.

“I saw Ruby change, and it made me finally connect the Grimm from the woods to Ruby. Everyone told me that _thing_ was her Grimm form, but I...I suppose it simply didn’t register. Until I watched it happen on your scroll. And then, of all the possible Grimm, she had to be a Beowolf? I just couldn’t deal with the sight of the claws, the teeth-” Weiss’s words rose in speed and pitch until they abruptly cut off in a shriek of terror and she started hyperventilating. Yang squeezed her tighter, stilling her shaking body.

“Whoa there, don’t work yourself back up. I’m sorry. You don’t have to explain right now.”

“No, I _needed_ to tell somebody. I couldn’t look at her without thinking about the White Fang attack.”

Weiss felt Yang tense next to her. “You did say it was a wolf Faunus - oh, Weiss. I’m so sorry this is happening to you.”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do! My feelings for her were already a problem, and now…” Weiss buried her head in her hands for a moment before continuing. “I can’t afford to panic every time I see her, Yang. I _can’t_. I promised her I would be the best partner ever.”

Weiss didn’t finish that thought out loud, but it felt like Yang understood nevertheless.

_I don’t know if I can do that anymore._

\----------------------------------

Ruby was so excited! It was Saturday, which meant she got to go back to her team AND that their first-year mission started tomorrow!

Ruby had gotten a text from Dad about a surprise of some sort, and when she went to the post office on campus to pick it up, she was greeted with a medium-sized box stamped with “LIVE CARGO.” Intrigued, she examined the box more closely, and smelled something through the box’s air holes. Something...furry? _I haven’t gotten much practice with smells yet, but I think-_

Not wanting to wait until she got back to the dorm to confirm her suspicions, she opened the box in the hallway nearby, and out jumped Zwei!

“Hey Zwei!” Ruby cooed, reaching down to pet her beloved corgi. But he simply growled at her - which she couldn’t recall ever happening before - and backed away slowly. 

“Zwei? Aww, c’mon, what’s the problem?” Ruby slowly reached out her hand for Zwei. After several tense moments he moved closer to her, sniffing her hand cautiously before allowing himself to be touched. Even then, it seemed like his body language remained somewhat wary, as if he was ready to attack at any moment.

_Is it because I’m part Grimm now? Maybe he can smell it on me?_

Ruby took the note that was attached to Zwei’s collar, reading it to herself before sighing dramatically.

_Only Dad would send a dog through the mail for babysitting just so he could avoid asking the neighbors to do it._

She looked inside the box and saw an assortment of food, treats and trash bags- everything you would need to take care of a dog for a week or so.

Ruby hefted the box and clicked her tongue for Zwei. “Come on, boy. Let’s go introduce you to my team!”

\----------------------------------

Despite Ruby’s enthusiasm to be reunited with her team, it took her a moment of fumbling around to open the door. She probably would have had an easier time if she wasn’t still holding onto the box, but the thought of putting it down never even crossed her stubborn mind.

When she finally managed to throw the door open, she stepped into the room and spotted Blake on her bed paging lazily through a book. Ruby set the box by the door and Zwei trotted into the room after her.

“Ruby!” Blake started from her book. _Surprise, joy._ “And Zwei? How did he get here?” _Confusion._ Blake stood up and walked towards Ruby, staring down at the small canine.

“Wait, how do you know this is Zwei?”

“You and Yang showed me pictures.”

“Oh right, _duh_. And the answer is that Dad sent him to stay with us for a couple of days. Um...is that okay?”

Blake tilted her head. “Why wouldn’t it be?” _Confusion._

Ruby took a moment to preemptively remove the metaphorical foot from her mouth, before hesitantly answering: “You know, cats and dogs don’t really get along?”

“Really, Ruby? Cat stereotypes?” Blake raised a single eyebrow in wry amusement.

“Hey! In my defense, just last week you _hissed_ at me when I tried to eat some of your tuna!”

Blake shrugged, returning to her book, lazily dropping her hand off the side of her bed for Zwei to sniff. “Maybe you shouldn’t try to eat off other people’s plates, Ruby.” _Irritation, caring._ Blake’s face shifted into a soft smile as she reached out for Ruby.

Stunned slightly, Ruby returned the gesture and found herself pulled into a gentle but insistent hug.

“It’s good to have you back, Ruby,” Blake said after they separated. Blake kneeled down and reached out her hand for Zwei to sniff.

“It’s good to be back. How’s everything-” Ruby cut herself off as she felt two people’s emotions come towards the door. She turned in time to see Yang and Weiss come in, closing the room door behind them before looking up and noticing her there.

She had just enough time to register her own shock and joy at her team being reunited after the week apart before a tidal wave of emotions hit her so hard she almost fell. Stumbling, she caught herself on the nearest bed frame, fighting down her new Grimm instincts as she looked back at the newly entered pair.

Weiss looked white as a sheet, and was cycling through deep and dark emotions so quickly Ruby couldn’t identify them, whereas Yang’s joy was quickly overridden by panic and compassion.

“There’s, there’s-” Weiss stuttered, grabbing hold of Yang’s arm as she tried to hide behind the larger girl.

Yang sighed, looking down at Zwei. “So that’s the surprise Dad texted me about. Give us a minute.” She turned to shield Weiss from the curious dog, feinting a kick at him to shoo him away as she whispered soft words to the trembling Atlesian.

Blake had the presence of mind to call over Zwei, reading Yang’s signals to get him away from herself and Weiss. Blake scooped him up and tucked him under one arm while using the other to rub Ruby’s back comfortingly.

Ruby's eyes drank in all this information but her brain was having trouble understanding what it all meant. She was still composing herself after the emotional barrage when a minute or two later, Winter, Penny and Ciel arrived, with Winter announcing their presence with a knock on the doorframe.

Winter’s emotions quickly ran through surprise, intrigue, and nervousness, before landing on care and calm. Impressively, her face did not betray any sign of these internal shifts, and her voice was as steady as ever when she spoke. “Agent Soleil, remove the dog from the room. Take him outside until further notice.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ciel said, snapping to attention before walking briskly towards Blake. She opened her arms to receive the pup, and the Faunus passed him over. “I will make sure to take care of the fluffy puppy! Who’s a good boy? You are!” Despite the tension still within the room, Ruby felt a brief flash of surprise and delight at Ciel’s reaction.

“Weiss? I’m here,” Winter’s voice said steadily, gently transferring Weiss from Yang’s embrace to her own. “Let’s go talk for a minute.” Winter led the still-shivering Weiss from the room.

“What was that about?” Ruby said, her voice still strained from the emotional feedback.

“The Faunus that attacked her was a wolf, remember?” Yang said simply, pulling her sister into a deep hug that sang with warmth and affection. “Sorry that had to be the first thing you felt from us.”

Ruby nodded into Yang’s shoulder, letting some small tears leak out as the hug was joined by Penny and a faux-reluctant Blake.

“So, how did training go?” Yang asked after the hug was over.

“It went stupendously, Friend Yang!” Penny answered with her usual enthusiasm, which brought a giggle to Ruby’s lips. “Ruby did an excellent job learning her new powers!”

The praise brought a slight blush to Ruby’s face, prompting Yang to round on Ruby with a knowing smirk. “Oh she did, did she? What can you do now?”

Trying desperately to cut off an avenue of teasing, Ruby stumbled her way through her next words before Penny could say anything that Yang’s mind could seize on for that purpose. “Well, I already told you about the emotion sensing thing, and my improved hearing and vision - like Blake! - and I can also augment my strength a little but it drains my aura while I do it, and-”

Yang put a finger on Ruby’s lips and laughed. “Okay, okay, you don’t have to tell me all of it now! We’ll have plenty of time on the mission.”

“Oh, right!” Ruby said, rubbing her head sheepishly.

“Don’t tell me you forgot about that?” Yang said. “Too busy with your girlfriend to remember it, huh?”

The awkward silence following that question spoke for itself.

“Did something happen between you two?” Blake asked, her face suddenly sporting a knowing grin eerily similar to Yang’s.

Ruby mentally reached out to Penny for some courage, and Penny reciprocated as their fingers intertwined. “Yeah,” she said shakily, her voice growing braver after a brief swallow. “We’re dating now.”

“Officially!” Penny added with a bright grin, before her mood suddenly dropped.

Ruby didn’t know quite what to think of that, as a similar thing happened with both Blake and Yang. They felt happy but there was this sad overtone to it.

“Okay, what are you all thinking about right now? I can tell you're upset.” Ruby really didn’t like this feeling, especially so soon after Weiss’s panic attack.

Yang sighed. “It’s not our place to say.”

Ruby looked around between Blake and Penny to see both of them nodding in agreement. To have her question so completely deflected by her new girlfriend stung.

“If it were up to us, we would have let you know already. But it isn’t,” Blake said, placing a gentle hand on Ruby’s shoulder. “I’m sorry about the situation this puts you in. You should try to forget you asked about this. Focus on your own happiness.”

Ruby smiled at the care emanating from Blake before she felt a spike of impish joy rising from Yang. Ruby turned to see Yang with a full-toothed grin.

_Uh oh._

“So, what made you guys go all official?” She asked in a playful tone as Ruby’s face blanched. 

“Well, first Ruby pinned me to the ground -” Penny answered innocently. Ruby hadn’t spoken fast enough to cut her off this time. She buried her head in her hands, letting out a dramatic groan. This was going to be a long and embarrassing conversation, going by the way Yang’s eyebrows had shot up to her hairline.

“Oh, how forward!” Yang said in a faux-scandalized voice. Ruby could feel the triumphant delight beneath the facade, and resisted the urge to tackle her big sis right there.

“And then she was nuzzling her face into mine-”

The conversation continued long after Ruby was nearly catatonic in embarrassment, her face resembling a ripe strawberry, with Blake looking on in amusement as Penny spilled every detail of their short romance to an eager Yang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On the chapter:  
> As far as this chapter goes, it’s the last one before the Mountain Glenn arc begins, and some big changes are coming for our heroes (and villains).
> 
> I’m sorry about making Weiss suffer more, but the story demands it.
> 
> And I have an announcement! I’m going to attempt to keep a weekly upload schedule (posting on the weekend), and for the time being, that means alternating Therian and ADF chapters for the foreseeable future.
> 
> On the series:  
> After watching the HBomberGuy RWBY video, I came to realize that some of the mistakes that canon made regarding Weiss’s interactions with racism were also present in my writing - specifically, in Therian, where I dealt with her trauma regarding the White Fang.
> 
> I brought it up in chapter 1 of this work, and then much like canon, gave it a much more tidy wrap-up than it deserved, so it vanished into the background as other events took precedence.
> 
> Therian is my first large-scale fanfiction, and as such I’ve relied on the crutch of following canon for a large part of the story thus far. (I’m not making a statement on putting your own spin on canon: some of my favorite fanfictions are simply the author’s own takes on canon. I’m saying that’s what the process feels like to me.) Anyway, this is partly why so many more Therian chapters are posted versus A Different Foundation. Therian more closely follows canon and is thus easier to write. I’m still struggling to find my legs as a writer after almost a decade of excuses and self-doubt, but I hope you all will stick with me in this journey.
> 
> To that end, I have since gone back and added small segments where appropriate to flesh out Weiss’s growth as a character and to add a stronger anti-racism message. This isn’t going to necessitate a full rewrite, nor will extra scenes be added- this is simply my attempt to shore up my own foreshadowing, and to allow myself to breathe and move on from things that I see as mistakes.
> 
> The list of scenes can be found here (and honestly some of the differences should not be noticeable):
> 
> Chapter 2- Blake is more suspicious of nice Weiss
> 
> The Chapter 2 reconciliation scene between Weiss and Blake is perhaps the largest rewrite.  
> My editor volchitsa-of-winterfell and I wanted to show Weiss’s moral journey more clearly, and have her better outline some actionable steps towards racial justice.
> 
> Chapter 3- Rewriting some of the JNPR/Blake reveal.
> 
> Chapter 4- Weiss brings up redeeming herself during the SDC part of the conversation.
> 
> And a small unrelated fix I realized while rereading Chapter 10: Winter stated in her training plan that a “minder from Beacon” would attend, and then no such person accompanies them, so I removed the mention.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With tension in the air, Team RWBY leave to go on their first mission: explore the ruined city of Mountain Glenn.  
> Winter asks some important questions.
> 
> What will they discover?

Things had been tense in Team RWBY’s room ever since Ruby had returned.

The issue with Zwei was the easier of the two issues to solve. Ciel would be taking care of Zwei until the mission was over, a task the blue-haired girl accepted with more enthusiasm than Blake had thought she was capable of.

But the Goliath in the room was Weiss and Ruby’s near-total lack of a relationship now. Once Weiss had calmed down and re-entered the room after her panic attack, she barely glanced Ruby’s way before starting her nighttime routine without another word.

Their morning preparations were similarly marked by long stretches of tense silence. Although Blake would normally appreciate the silence and the time to think, she was beginning to feel unnerved by the subdued mood - especially since her own partner was lacking her usual bubbly cheer, which Blake honestly wouldn’t have believed was possible just a few days ago.

As they walked out to the airship where Winter and their pilot were waiting, Blake saw Ruby and Penny say goodbye to each other, sharing some loaded looks and soft words before leaning into a short but sweet kiss. They were both still blushing as they waved to each other before Ruby walked towards the airship and Penny went back to the elevator.

 _I wonder how that feels-_ Blake wondered, her thoughts drifting to her partner as she secured her gear in the airship’s cargo area. She blushed and shook her head slightly. _Focus on the mission, Blake._

_But yes, the two of us really should have a talk sometime soon about what exactly we are._

After everyone was properly strapped in, the airship took off, leaving Beacon behind and heading due southeast.

Once they reached cruising altitude, Winter emerged from the cockpit and announced that she would be briefing them on the mission. While she fiddled with the small holographic projector descending from the ceiling of the airship, Ruby attempted to break the awkward silence with her usual energetic attitude, saying: “Oh, this is gonna be so cool!” But Blake could tell her heart wasn’t truly in it; her perky grin didn’t quite reach those silver eyes.

“Indeed,” Winter said, before emitting a short sigh. “Before we begin, I must apologize for the hurried nature of this assignment. Normally there would be a briefing several days before a mission like this, to allow huntsmen to gather supplies and intelligence, but our mission was deemed urgent enough to be excepted from the usual protocol.”

“Urgent?” Blake asked. “Aren’t these first-year missions typically low-level assignments like guarding a town or shadowing small expeditions?”

“Usually yes, but this is a special circumstance. I was already contracted to accomplish this mission after leading an unrelated first-year mission. However, recent events forced my supervisors to reevaluate the timeframe, and they ultimately chose to combine the two tasks by moving this mission earlier and allowing you to tag along.” Winter allowed herself a small, fleeting smile with these last words; Blake probably would’ve missed it if she’d blinked.

Winter cleared her throat and stepped back from the projector, a small remote clasped in one hand as she straightened into a military pose. “Now, the task at hand. After we reviewed the intelligence you gathered during your encounter with the White Fang at the docks, we started to see a larger pattern connecting several seemingly disparate events.” 

She clicked the remote and the projector began to show a series of pictures as she spoke.

“Tire tracks that seem to travel nowhere - thought to be the result of Grimm attacking convoys.

“Nests of Grimm reported in areas with no previously known settlements.

“Sightings of large groups of haggard-looking Faunus moving through the small towns - thought to be the result of Grimm attacks displacing vulnerable populations from remote settlements.

“Taken on their own, these events paint a concerning picture but not an unusual one. They seem to show increasing Grimm attacks on small, remote settlements, forcing their populations towards larger cities, with many getting waylaid or killed in the process.

“However, with your report, an alternate explanation presents itself: The White Fang are amassing in Vale through an unknown means of transportation, and their numbers are growing rapidly.” Blake thought back to the dockside rally, of all the Faunus who seemed sympathetic to the cause, and her heart suddenly felt like it was made of lead. 

She quickly wrenched herself out of the mood, giving herself a little shake and sitting up straight to pay attention. _There’ll be time to despair later. For now, I need to be as well-informed as I possibly can_.

Winter had clicked onto a new slide showing a slowly-panning aerial video of a valley. “We’ve pinpointed a likely area for their camp: the ruins of Mountain Glenn. The buildings should have little degradation from the elements, and its underground areas provide a safe area to set up. We will land on the outskirts of the city and comb inwards in a circular pattern until we spot anything.” The video zoomed in slowly and Blake could see that the valley was densely studded with buildings that looked newly-built yet were half destroyed. The juxtaposition sent an uneasy tingle up Blake’s spine.

“I expect all of you to perform to the best of your capabilities. Let me also remind you that our goal is strictly reconnaissance. We will be leaving engagement to a more specialized and experienced team. That being said, I have confidence in your ability to contribute to our mission parameters. With Ruby and Blake’s enhanced senses, Blake’s stealth training, and me and Weiss using our summons as scouts-” Blake noticed a grimace pass over Weiss’s face at this “-we are well-poised to accomplish this mission,” Winter concluded, clicking off the projector.

“Are there any questions?”

Silence filled the cabin of the airship as the first-years digested all of the information, broken only by the soft impacts of Weiss’s fingertips on her scroll as she studiously finished taking notes on the presentation.

“Inform me if you think of any. I will be in the cockpit. Until we land, you are free to relax or to begin discussing the details among yourselves.” With that, Winter turned and swept out of the room, leaving Team RWBY to the same subdued silence that had followed them all day.

\----------------------------------

Ruby was already feeling exhausted by this mission, and they had only just finished setting up their first campsite.

Ruby wouldn’t have thought that leaving her team alone for a week would lead to a complete breakdown in morale. And while she knew it was unlikely that this rift in the team was entirely caused by her absence, she still couldn’t help but blame herself.

The neon sign that seemed to point the blame at her was Weiss’s attitude. Ever since Ruby had gotten back, Weiss had only talked to her a handful of times, mostly to repeat instructions. 

On one occasion, as Ruby was setting up her tent, Ruby had dropped a pole on her foot and complained about it. She felt the concern and irritation coming from Weiss before she heard her speak: “Seriously, Ruby? Can’t you take-” But just like that, the typical friendly-for-Weiss jibe died as some other emotion took over the heiress’s heart. Something painful, but with an oddly sweet edge.

At least Weiss was talking to the others in a more normal manner, if slightly subdued. Ruby would hate for whatever Weiss was going through to isolate her from her friends.

_What could I have done differently? What am I doing wrong?_

“Ruby?” Blake's gentle voice brought her out of her spiral. “How are you doing?” she asked, placing a hand on Ruby’s shoulder.

“Tired,” Ruby said with a sigh, grateful for the chance to spill her troubles to a compassionate and concerned ear. “I don’t know what’s up with Weiss and it’s stressing me out.” Despite her efforts to sound calm, her words began tumbling out uncontrollably and her voice rose in pitch as she described the sources of her stress. “And on top of that, feeling everyone’s emotions is just so exhausting, and then piling on top of that there’s my new enhanced senses-”

Blake cut her off with a finger on her lips. “I get it. Well, at least that last part. Sensory overload can be a lot,” she said, with a knowing look in her eyes. “Coming to Vale was like that for me.”

“It was?”

“Well, yeah. I was coming from Menagerie, where things were built with Faunus in mind, so moving to a gray, bustling human city was a big shift. There are cars everywhere, and the buildings just seem to amplify all the screeching noise. The smells were different too, like if someone suddenly dumped cologne all over your pillow. Everything that should have felt familiar was just too much or too different. Sometimes both.”

“Wow,” Ruby said with awe in her voice. “Is it like that for everyone?”

“Not precisely like that, because the Faunus species vary. For example, reptile Faunus actually have worse hearing on average than humans. Avians think that sight and sound are more important. And the few aquatic Faunus I met would have just hated living on dry land, period. So it can be different for everyone. But yes, I’d say sounds and smells are definitely a good baseline. If you want, tonight I can run you through some exercises in blocking out unwanted stimuli.”

“That’d be great, thanks,” Ruby said with a small, hopeful smile.

“And for the rest...don’t worry too much, Ruby. Things will sort themselves out.” Blake let go of her shoulder after a final reassuring squeeze, leaving Ruby to her thoughts once again.

\----------------------------------

After breaking camp the next day, Winter and her assigned first-years spent most of the day just entering the city limits. Their pilot had dropped them off at the city’s gates, and it was up to them to make their way inside, a task which was complicated by the fact that the main entrance was locked up tight. They lost some time fending off a couple of straggler Grimm, but ultimately succeeded in entering the city through a broken security door. 

Once inside, they searched the nearby barracks, gate control center and huntsmen outpost, but found little relevant information for their mission. The search took longer than expected and was more emotionally draining on the trainees than Winter had anticipated. Wanting to stave off a crash, she ordered them to stop and set up camp for the night.

“Yang, a moment, if you please?” Winter called out to the blonde as she was finishing her portion of the set-up work.

Yang walked over to the older huntress wearing a slightly panicked expression. “Oh no, did I do something wrong? I’ve always had trouble assembling tents, it’s more of Ruby’s thing-”

“Yang, please. I didn’t call you over to discuss your ability to pitch a tent, though I will admit I can see some areas for improvement,” Winter added with a small smile. She inclined her head towards a bench that was a small distance away from the camp, and the two of them walked towards it in silence. Winter sat and indicated that Yang should do the same.

“So why are we over here, then?” Yang asked, sitting down at Winter’s invitation. _Cutting straight to the point. An excellent trait in a huntress, so long as she learns to keep her brash mannerisms in check._

“There are two reasons I’ve called you over. One is to ask what you think of the mission so far. What conclusions have you drawn?”

Yang scratched her chin and thought for a moment before answering. “Well...if the White Fang _are_ here, I don’t think they entered through the front gates. We either would have seen markings of the side doors being forced open, or the gate control room would’ve been less dusty. Unfortunately, our maps don’t have a list of all the sewer and maintenance entrances to the city - and even if we did, it’s not like the five of us would be able to scout them all anyway.”

These were excellent deductions, but Winter was careful to keep her manner neutral. _Inflating the girl’s ego won’t benefit anyone_. “How about the state of the buildings themselves? What can you decipher about the fall of Mountain Glenn?”

“I don’t think the Grimm came from the outside. If they’d just broken through the wall, we would have been able to spot it from the airship. But the gate and the area around it don’t seem to be damaged much.”

“You’ve spoken a lot about the gates, but they were not the chief subject of our search today. Is there a reason you’ve elided the subject of the barracks and the huntsman outpost?” Truthfully, Winter was not happy about exposing the girls to the aftermath of a Grimm attack so early in their careers, but the sooner they faced the ugly truth, the sooner they could begin learning how to cope with it.

“Honestly?” Yang began with a deep sigh, cradling her chin in her hands mournfully. “It’s because I’m trying not to think about it. Seeing all those rooms that were full of belongings but no people was hard. It’s like they all just vanished.”

“Isn’t that better, though? I’d certainly prefer not to find bodies during every mission.”

“Not exactly.” Yang shook her head. “That’s-” She took a deep breath before continuing in a small, choked voice. “It’s better to know what happened. To not have this _mystery_ hanging over your head.”

Winter paused before speaking again, choosing her approach carefully given the girl’s sudden vulnerable state. “You sound as though you are speaking from experience.”

Yang gave a small remorseful laugh before sitting up and leaning backwards, addressing her words to the sunset-streaked sky. “Because I am. Our mom - mine and Ruby’s - was a huntress, and one day she went on a mission and we never saw her again. Just disappeared. No sightings, no body, nothing. It was like she’d never even existed.”

“You want closure - an answer to something that seems unknowable, even if that answer brings you pain.”

Yang didn’t respond. She leaned forwards once more, her gaze now fixed on the campfire in the near distance.

After some quiet contemplation, Winter decided that Yang would likely be receptive to physical contact, and gently placed her hand on Yang’s nearest shoulder. The blonde jumped slightly in surprise at the touch, but then gratefully leaned into it.

They passed a few moments like that in silence before Yang’s eyes seemed to refocus and Winter thought it appropriate to continue the conversation. “I had another reason I wished to talk to you, Yang.”

“Hmm?” Yang said, not moving her eyes from the campfire.

“This is actually the primary reason I wished to talk to you. These discussions are a foundational aspect of first-year missions.”

Yang relaxed backwards, shifting to rest her head on one hand on the arm of the bench, and idly tracing patterns on her thigh with the other. “It’s more important than the quiz you just gave me?” Yang said, evidently having regained some of her humor.

“This is more important than a simple test of your observational skills.” Winter paused, having read in a parenting book - correction, a _training manual_ \- that pauses can give one’s phrases more weight. “Why do you want to be a huntress, Yang?”

“What?”

“Why are you here? What drives you to better yourself?”

“Honestly?” Yang thought for a moment. “Probably the adventure. I wish I could see the world more like Ruby - could see the difference we would make in people’s lives - but I can’t.” She gave a small, dry laugh, shaking her head. “I just feel so selfish. I’m going to be working in what I’m constantly told is a noble profession, and all I want is to feel the rush of adrenaline. Of seeing new places, meeting new people, punching assholes in the face, slaying monsters. I could get that anywhere else.”

“I’m proud of you, Yang.” At this, Yang turned in shock towards Winter, open disbelief on her face. Winter calmly held the girl’s gaze, concealing her feelings internally before remembering with a mental reproach that not all of her children - _trainees_ \- could sense emotions. Winter instead took both of Yang’s hands in her own and held them securely before continuing. “You possess the strength of mind to be honest not only with others, but also with yourself. Your reasons for entering the profession might not be as noble as others, but that does not mean they are not important to you and therefore deserving of respect.

“However-” Winter tightened her grip slightly for emphasis “-I will advise you to keep a wary eye on yourself. Many good huntsmen have died for the spirit of adventure, chasing after their next big thrill. Do not allow yourself to drown in your wanderlust. We all require stability. Now, this is certainly not to say that you should repress yourself, either. My advice for you is thus: Preserve your honest heart at all costs, and surround yourself with people who are not only honest with you, but with whom you can be honest. If you can do that, then I can see you becoming something great.”

Yang’s eyes shone with tears. She opened her arms and practically fell onto Winter’s shoulder, wrapping her arms around the older huntress. Winter’s momentary shock was quickly overtaken by compassion when she felt Yang shudder slightly as she cried. Winter placed her arms around the young girl and held her as she let her emotions out.

“I’m sorry you have to deal with this,” Yang got out in between sobs.

“I’m here to help. You have nothing to be sorry for,” Winter replied gently. And despite the slight annoyance she felt at the breach of social mores and the realization that she would have to clean her uniform earlier than she anticipated, the words she spoke were the truth.

\----------------------------------

Their third day saw the group moving inwards into the city proper. First, they circled through the slums near the defensive walls. The rubble here was made up of half-collapsed ramshackle homes and burnt tents. It was here that they encountered their first bodies. Though the remains had long since lost their flesh, the clean-picked bones and bloodstained clothes painted a gruesome picture of the last hours of Mountain Glenn.

After the slums came the nicer residential districts: neat row houses lined up against each other, gradually transitioning into larger homes owned by the wealthier members of the community. All the homes, small and large, displayed evidence of a protracted battle against the Grimm. Walls and roofs had collapsed, sometimes spilling out into the streets or onto other buildings. On one block, an entire row of apartment buildings seemed to have been toppled over like dominoes. If the Fall had happened more recently, the group would have had to contend with broken water mains and gas leaks. But as it stood, all they found were empty pipes, and a notable lack of any signs of Fang activity.

They set up camp in one of the least-destroyed houses they could find. It had only a few small windows, which meant that many of the interior rooms were blessedly clear of glass shards. Most miraculously, the house still had an intact fireplace.

There were a few adequately-sized pieces of mirror still mounted in the bathroom, and Winter gratefully seized the opportunity to groom her long, pearl-colored hair. The tight bun she wore helped keep the worst tangles at bay, but after a couple of days in the field there was nevertheless some significant frizz escaping from the updo. Besides, her scalp was begging for a more forgiving style; she actually sighed in relief as she removed the battery of pins. She took her time brushing it out, then quickly put it into a simple braid for sleep, knowing she’d be able to redo the bun here in the morning before they broke camp.

As she left the bathroom and made her way to her bedroll, she spotted Blake on the first watch of the night. The Faunus girl was sitting on the front porch, staring out into the neighborhood.

 _I suppose this is as good a time as any for a private talk with her._ “Hello, Blake. May I sit next to you?”

Blake let out a quiet huff of affirmation and made room on the steps for Winter. As Winter sat, she observed that her mere presence next to Blake had caused the girl’s body to go visibly tense in a way that watch duty - staring into the oppressive darkness, listening to the eerie silence of the destroyed city - hadn’t done.

 _Hmm. This one may be a challenge_.

“How do you believe your first field experience is going?” Winter asked politely. _A different approach will likely be necessary with Blake. It appears that friendliness is out of reach for the time being._

“It’s going well enough,” Blake said quietly, her eyes fixed on the rubble on the other side of the street. A look of apprehension briefly appeared on her face, but she shook her head slightly and it vanished, replaced by a calm, neutral expression. Winter had observed the girl just enough to be able to detect the artifice behind her expression. _There is something she isn’t comfortable discussing with me - likely something personal. She seems to use detachment as a coping mechanism._

Winter stayed silent for several minutes, simply sharing the quiet contemplation the Faunus seemed to be enjoying. 

Abruptly, Blake spoke again. “What’s the difference between this house and the one right across the street?” she asked.

“The difference?” Winter replied, turning to the Faunus in puzzlement. 

Blake’s golden eyes were now watching her face carefully. “This house remained intact during the siege and the other did not. Why?”

Winter blinked in confusion. _I did not anticipate that I would be the one answering questions when I came out here._ Nevertheless, she gathered her thoughts quickly and answered. “Some variable in the circumstances surrounding the fall, perhaps. The opposite house could have had structural weaknesses. The residents of this house could have evacuated faster so the Grimm saw no need to target it. There’s a number of reasons it could have happened.”

“That tells me _how_ they were different. But _why_ are they different?”

“I’m not sure I understand your question, Miss Belladonna.”

“It’s luck.”

“Luck?”

“Yes, _Specialist Schnee_ ,” Blake said in a tone one might use with a slow schoolchild. “It was luck that one house was built better, or that its occupants fled quickly enough. That is the only thing that truly separates people. Luck determines your path the same way it determines your birth.” Blake pointed to the south, where the former Mountain Glenn slums were located. “Luck is the only real difference between the people from the slums and the people who lived here.”

“That’s rather reductionist, Miss Belladonna.”

“Is it? I never said that luck is the only difference we see around us in society. I said that it’s the only separation that’s _real_. All the other separations we interact with are artificial, man-made. Oftentimes literally.”

“Made by humans and men?”

“Precisely. Glad to see that someone within the Atlas military understands the concept of patriarchy and racism,” Blake said with no small amount of venom. “Anyway, even though I believe those other divisions in society are artificial, they still have real impact. I am not safe from being harmed by these divisions just because I don’t believe in them. I don’t get to sit back and be a spectator, even if I wanted to.” 

Blake exhaled and looked away. “I don’t necessarily expect you to get it. I’m still figuring this out myself. I’ve fought against injustice in some form for my entire life. It’s just now I’ve been trying to find better reasons to fight, instead of simply being jealous and angry.”

Winter took a few moments of silence to digest this before replying. “I commend you for interrogating your internal motives,” she began. “That is a hard task, one that demands integrity and a strong moral core. I confess I struggled with a similar task when I chose to step down as the heir to the SDC. The dealings I was privy to made me sick. I instantly knew I wanted to escape the world of people who treated money - and lives - like playthings. But for a long time I wasn’t sure it was right for me to leave my home and abandon all the expectations that society held for me. I only became a huntress after I developed an unshakeable belief that this was the right path for me - that this was the way I could try and do some good.”

“But you really just traded one world of puppeteers for another.”

“What?” Winter felt like she had been slapped. She’d really thought that she had successfully identified some common ground with the girl.

Blake continued, entirely unfazed. “Are you really so blind as to how the military acts? You guys are the first ones the rich and powerful ask for favors - special contracts, looking the other way at injustices. They make the rules in order to benefit themselves, and you are their enforcers. Where’s the good work in that?”

Winter found herself backed into a very familiar rhetorical corner. “There are as many opportunities for justice within the system as there are outside of it. For example, I was one of the key supporters for the creation of the all-Faunus Ace-Ops Four team.” She knew it was a somewhat weak defense, but she felt that she had to try.

“Oh, so you have some Faunus friends,” Blake said sarcastically, adding derisive air quotes to the last word. “So what? That doesn’t excuse the rest of your actions, or more importantly, those of the company you choose to keep. I’ll be civil to you because of your leadership role and apparently being the only good family Weiss has, but for now I’m going to ask you to leave. I’d like to get back to my watch without a fascist nearby.”

Winter pressed her lips together and stood, taking her leave of the Faunus girl with only a silent nod. As she made her way back to her bedroll, she felt a deeply familiar pang stabbing into her heart.

She knew she needed to rest, but try as she might, she wasn’t able to keep her mind off Blake’s words. As she finally slipped into a fitful doze, the Faunus girl’s image in Winter’s mind seemed to shift and meld with that of her former partner Robyn.

\----------------------------------

On the fourth day of the mission, it began to rain heavily during the early morning. The group was forced to take refuge in Mountain Glenn’s shopping mall. 

Grimm began harassing them more frequently as they traveled closer to the city center. They also began seeing a greater number of human remains. Tucked away in small corners or clearly gutted in the main thoroughfares lay dozens of skeletons of all ages. 

Many of the stores were remarkably intact, their shutters seemingly impervious to the elements and the Grimm. Others had either been ripped apart by the Grimm searching for any stragglers, or had been looted; either way, little of value remained.

Winter saw Weiss standing in front of the smashed-in entrance to Mountain Glenn’s SDC storefront with an odd look on her face, and moved to talk to her.

“What are you doing here, Weiss?” Winter began once she arrived at her sister’s side.

“I required some time away from the group to think,” Weiss replied, and trailed off into silence, staring into the ruined building.

“About what?” Winter prodded once it became clear that Weiss was not going to continue on her own.

“I can’t seem to escape the past, sister. I thought I had moved beyond my wounds from the White Fang attack, but it seems that every moment the world wishes to prove me wrong.” Her voice came very close to breaking at those last words.

Winter turned her sister towards her and noticed Weiss’s eyes filling with tears. She pulled her into a gentle embrace which the younger huntress reciprocated with vigor, clutching at her sister’s back as high, hiccupy sobs wracked her delicate frame.

“I don’t know what to do, Winter,” Weiss choked out. “I can’t help but feel that everything I worked for is crumbling apart.”

Winter simply held Weiss and let her continue to vent. She knew that her presence alone was an act of love, an intentional defiance of their family’s lesson that tears were not to be shared with anyone. After a few long moments, her sister’s words largely trailed off into meaningless mumbling and sniffles, though a few choice words piqued Winter’s interest - the name of Weiss’s partner perhaps most of all.

“Weiss, I’m sorry.” Winter said after Weiss finally stilled and began to breathe normally again.

“What?” Weiss said, pulling back to look up at Winter in disbelief. “Why?”

“I- I should have supported you more. Taken you with me maybe. Once I discovered my own path, I was desperate to continue down it, heedless of the consequences.” Distant images flashed in Winter’s mind: an angry Robyn storming out of their apartment, a pregnant Willow singlehandedly demolishing Winter's wing of the house with her sigils, the sad smile on Fria's face...

“Winter, that’s- it’s not your fault. I probably would have done the same.”

“I suppose you are correct, Weiss. And anyhow, if I had taken you, I’m not sure how much help I would have been able to give a precocious six year old.”

“I was not precocious!” Weiss broke away from the embrace and crossed her arms in an exaggerated pout. Winter couldn’t help but laugh, and to her delight her sister joined in with her own bubbly giggle, both girls instinctively hiding their smiles behind practiced, ladylike hands.

After their laughter subsided, Winter grew serious again. “In regards to your memories and pain, I would recommend the services of Beacon’s counselor. It is beyond the scope of my expertise to safely help you navigate those issues. That is not to say that you may never come to me for help or reassurance,” Winter hastily added at Weiss’s forlorn expression. “I only want the best for you, and just as I would take you to the pharmacy rather than some itinerant potion-peddler were you physically ill, so I urge you to consult an expert in mental and emotional science for your wounds of that nature.”

“I will not deny that addressing these wounds and beginning to move past them will be hard - perhaps harder than anything you have faced to this point.” Winter paused, attempting to calm her own emotions. “If it is any comfort, I want you to know that I-” her voice caught in her throat “-I’m proud of you, Weiss.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said in a small voice, pulling her sister into another hug. This one felt less desperate than the last, and contained a fragile hope within it. 

Winter was almost loath to disrupt the tender moment, but she knew she had one last topic she needed to broach for her sister’s sake, although it would likely be an uncomfortable one.

“Lastly, I apologize if this comes across as meddling, but I have noticed your recent behavior around Ruby.” As Winter expected, Weiss stiffened in her arms before slowly extricating herself from the embrace to stare at the floor. Winter’s tone softened at her sister’s palpable discomfort, but she continued anyway. “You have feelings for her, don’t you, and she’s not reciprocating them.” It was not a question; it didn’t need to be.

Weiss was silent for a moment, her only reply the flush spreading across her porcelain cheeks. Then: “You sound as if you speak from experience,” she said in a low voice.

Now Winter had to fight down a blush of her own. “Because I do.”

“Which partner was it?”

“That is of little consequence to the manner at hand.” Winter waved off the question. It was technically true, but it was secondary to a greater concern: Winter simply didn’t want to reveal that the former object of her affections was currently running for councilwoman on a pro-Mantle platform, and was perhaps involved in less-than-legal matters throughout the lower city. For all the grief that she and Winter had caused each other, Robyn deserved better than becoming embroiled in a romantic scandal connected to the Schnees. 

Winter continued. “The point is that I can understand your frame of mind at the moment. I hate to sound like a stereotypical adult, but the best advice I have is that romance is just one aspect of life. You are terribly young: it is likely that you will find a new love, and it is just as likely that Ruby’s relationship with Penny could fail. Try to keep the situation in perspective.” 

Winter watched her sister closely. Weiss’s sole response was a tiny release of tension from her shoulders; anyone who didn’t know the girl as well as Winter did might have missed the gesture entirely, but Winter knew it was enough. 

She ventured a little further. “For this situation in particular...am I correct that of the five of you, Penny included, Ruby is the only one who doesn’t know of your affections?” Weiss gave a weak nod. “Then I would suggest that you tell her.” 

Winter held up a hand as Weiss’s head immediately snapped up to protest, cutting her off. “I know that you think telling her will interfere with your bond as friends and teammates, and there well might be awkwardness after you do so. However, I can assure you that letting those feelings fester inside you will have dire consequences for any possibility of an authentic personal connection between the two of you. 

“You may believe that you can keep it inside forever in some desperate attempt for normalcy. But as your supervisor as well as your sister, let me inform you in all frankness that the sense of normalcy in your group _is already gone_. Attempting to preserve it by continuing to silence your feelings would be utterly in vain. You must tell her. Besides,” Winter added, softening her tone, “I can’t imagine that Ruby would let this get in the way of your friendship.”

“I-” Weiss swallowed hard. “I will, Winter.” Weiss said. Her voice dropped to almost a whisper. “And thank you.”

“You are my sister, Weiss. It is only natural that I take care of you.” _A most rewarding task, and one that I hope to attend to more frequently in the future. Which reminds me, I should reach out to Whitley..._

\----------------------------------

The fifth day saw them reach the city center, entering from the southwest. In the middle sat the ruins of a massive central park, surrounded on three sides by government buildings.

On the west end lay a crumbling edifice that had been City Hall. The building was densely strewn with Dust explosion marks, discarded weapons, and bodies. The buildings on the north and south sides were far more destroyed, only the barest pieces of their frameworks still standing. Winter would never have identified their original purposes without the map she’d studied, which labeled them as the courthouse and the police station, respectively.

Abutting the park on the east end, a vast sinkhole swallowed up more than a block of land, descending into pitch-darkness. Winter surmised that to be the smoking gun to the mystery of the fall of Mountain Glenn. _A large influx of Grimm right into the heart of operations? Away from most lines of defense? That would be enough to make most military installations fold - and this was only a civilian settlement._

The group members were careful to stifle their emotional reactions at the sight. A significant number of Grimm were pacing restlessly around the sinkhole, and while it would probably be possible to fight them all off, Winter warned against it. “There are likely more nearby that are hidden from us at the moment,” she said, quietly casting a time-dilation glyph in order to flee the scene. 

The group retreated backwards to their previous campsite, taking out any small pockets of Grimm along the way with quiet precision. Once safely camped back in the shopping mall, the group took a moment to collectively heave a sigh of relief. Winter gave her charges a ten-minute breather before calling a brief mission conference.

“Frankly, I’m not sure how the White Fang would be able to build a base in this area with such a high concentration of Grimm,” Winter said. She unrolled a map of the city onto the store counter where the group had gathered for the conference. The map already had the group’s approximate path sketched onto it; Winter promptly highlighted the city center in yellow, before highlighting a few other areas in orange and red. 

“I’ve marked on the map what I believe are some likely locations for the base: yellow for least likely and red for most. However, I have not revealed all of my suspicions. At this point, I would like each one of you to study the map and make your own predictions, marking them on the map using the same color schema. Once you are have all had a turn, we will reconvene and discuss our next options.”

Winter pushed the map and an assortment of markers across the store counter to Weiss. Before leaving the group to their assignment, she added, “Ruby, a moment, please.” Ruby followed the older woman promptly as she headed out of the storefront and towards the concourse of the mall.

When they were some distance away from the group, Winter turned to face Ruby, taking a moment to regard the young huntress critically before beginning the conversation. _Despite the current issues between her and Weiss, she’s done an admirable job keeping the team together and on-task throughout the mission. Based on our Grimm training sessions, I didn’t expect her impressive degree of focus in the field. Her determination and remarkable maturity are easy to see, but I didn’t think she could keep up those traits so consistently; that she can is a welcome surprise._

Ruby seemed to shrink slightly under the scrutiny. Winter sighed, setting aside the critiques for later. “Ruby, I’m not about to scold you.”

“You’re not?” Ruby asked in a small voice.

“Of course not,” Winter answered in a soft but firm tone. “Though if you purposefully hurt Penny again we will have _words_ ,” Winter added, thinking back to the argument in the hospital, allowing some protectiveness to bleed into her thoughts.

“No, what I wanted to say was that I think you’ve done an admirable job at maintaining the group’s focus and morale during this mission, especially for one so young.” Ruby blushed at the compliment and fidgeted with her skirt bashfully. “However, the full debriefing will come after the mission is complete. Right now, as you may have guessed from conversing with Yang, I’d like to ask you a simple question. Why are you here?”

Ruby froze under the direct question, her hands falling loose to her sides before bunching into tight fists. Ruby gazed up into Winter’s eyes; it looked like she was trying for a determined expression, but her face instead seemed hollow and forced. “I want to be a hero, like in the stories my mother told me-” Ruby started, her voice gradually becoming more choked as she continued “-going around the world and saving the day, not asking for much in return...” She trailed off into a hoarse whisper, looking down to the ground in defeat.

She was silent for a moment before Winter saw tears spill down the girl’s cheeks onto the dusty floor. “But,” she sobbed, “I- I don’t know if I can do that anymore.”

“What do you mean, Ruby?” Winter asked gently, emitting an aura of care and calm as she took Ruby’s hands in hers.

“I’m afraid I can’t be so positive, so” - Ruby searched for the right word - “ _carefree_ , anymore. I’m so proud of Penny for staying so brave and so bright after everything she’s been through, but I’m not sure I’m strong enough to do the same.”

“And that is precisely why I think you make a great team leader,” Winter said. She pulled Ruby into a comforting embrace, noting the look of utter disbelief that came over the girl as she did so. “Just now, you did something many adults find themselves unable to do: you reevaluated a long-standing belief after you experienced something new. You are much more mature than your age or general demeanor can make you appear, and for that I commend you.” Ruby finally relaxed into the embrace, her hands holding onto Winter’s back in a similar desperate manner to Yang several days prior and Weiss just yesterday. _She and Yang both grew up without a mother,_ Winter remembered sadly. _Although in many ways, so did Weiss and I_.

“In regards to your new powers, do not base your progress with them upon Penny. She has had hers for her entire life, and therefore has far more experience navigating their pitfalls. You have had yours for just under _two weeks._ You likely feel a great deal of pressure when it comes to being a team leader, particularly being so young. You must not let your own expectations of your powers be an additional weight that you place upon yourself.

“On the matter of heroism: heroes are not as pure as you were led to believe as a child. It’s a terrible thing to have to come to terms with, but that is the truth. Heroes are still people; they are complicated and full of flaws. The only reason they come to be revered so is their ability to overcome those flaws. You call Penny brave in an attempt to put yourself down, but bravery is not the absence of fear. Quite the contrary. Bravery is the choice to continue in the presence of fear, when fear is far too close for comfort.” Winter gave Ruby a soft squeeze before releasing the embrace.

Winter lifted up Ruby’s chin to look the girl in those bright silver eyes. They looked more focused now; certainly tired, and a little bloodshot from her tears, but some undefinable inner fire had been rekindled. “You should listen to your fear, and learn from it. Attempting to suppress or ignore fear will only lead to ruin,” Winter said softly.

“Okay,” Ruby sniffled, wiping the last few tears from her face with the palms of her hands. “Thank you, and sorry,” she finished with a slight smile, gesturing at the damp patch on Winter’s shoulder.

“It’s quite alright, Ruby,” Winter said, projecting feelings of kindness and calm. “It’s my role as a mentor to make sure that you all are cared for while out in the field.”

“If it’s okay, I’d like to go back to the team now and check on the map. I’ve still got to add my recommendations.”

“Of course. I need to go there myself so that we can discuss our observations. However, you need not wait for me.” Winter waved Ruby away, who grinned and transformed into a streak of petals to bolt back to her friends. Winter followed at a more sedate pace, allowing herself a moment of pride in the emotional support work she’d done over the past few days.

_These students are well on their way to becoming excellent huntresses._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real-life notes: I recently started a new job. That means that I won’t be able to follow my “every weekend” posting schedule that I wanted to. I will still be updating and trying to be consistent, I just can’t promise a precisely regular schedule, and it might be slower than you’re used to.
> 
> Story notes:  
> Things are super awkward for everyone! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
> 
> So, Blake and Yang never really became official because their date was interrupted by DRAMA.
> 
> In canon, the Mountain Glenn trip really is just a random archaeological survey that just so happens to be at the exact site of the bad guy’s secret base. Here, I’m giving the good guys at least a little credit: having actually done investigating, and the teens who were present at the rally being listened to.
> 
> I feel like Yang and Ruby REALLY hate unanswered questions. Both of their mothers leaving them as children would have a profound impact on their need for closure.
> 
> Writing “Blake OWNING Winter with Facts And Logic” (my editor’s phrasing) was very fun. The Robyn flashbacks were added while writing, for some extra angst goodness.
> 
> Ace-Ops 4 will be important later! Though here’s a little teaser on their significance: Ace-Ops 1 are the canon ones.
> 
> Also, sorry that this chapter ended up super long! I just wanted a deeper dive into their mentalities and the response a seasoned huntress would have to them, and then they just kept talking. In the show, Oobleck didn’t really talk to the team beyond a simple “why are you here?” He didn’t critique or interact with them. I didn’t like that, so I guess I overcorrected.
> 
> The sections with Yang and Blake being asked about the fall of Mountain Glenn in general were happy accidents that I added somewhat last-minute, which helped fill in the details of their journey to the city center.
> 
> Since Winter had more experience talking with Ruby and Weiss, I decided that they were going to just have a more open discussion instead of Winter giving them a small quiz to start it off, like she did with the other two girls.

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'ed by Volchitsa_of_winterfell


End file.
